What's Behind Door Number 4?
by Mecha74
Summary: Carrie White has survived, and finds herself cornered by agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But things do not go as she expects them to. Based on the new 2013 Carrie movie. Story crosses over into ALL Marvel movies, not just Marvel Studios films. Be warned, there are spoilers for...well everything. LOL Now rated T for language and violence.
1. Friend Or Foe

Chamberlain, Maine

King Brothers Cemetery...dawn.

For over a hundred years this place had served as a final resting place for so many. Nearly three thousand people were interred here.

Normally a place of silence, where the dearly departed are meant to rest in eternal peace…but there was someone in this place who was not resting…someone who despite the carving on a headstone that stated otherwise, was very much alive.

With a shuddering and coughing gasp, Carrie White burst up through the soil that was once her gravesite as she pulled herself up and out onto the ground next to her headstone. After taking a few moments to regain her senses and get her bearings she rolled over to look at it in disbelief.

"_Oh God, am I…dead? Yes, of course I am…that was what I wanted after all." _She thought to herself.

The freshly minted headstone had a massive crack running up through the front of it. She realized that she had been the cause. When she had awakened within her casket she had panicked. And despite her weakened condition had summoned enough of her powers to break and push her way up through the lid and the dirt that threatened to suffocate her as it poured in thereafter.

The sudden snap of a twig got her attention as she twisted around where she lie to see a man in a black suit and tie standing about twenty feet from her. Startled by this she awkwardly sprang to her feet with a slight stumble as her head began to spin.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy…easy. There's no need to be alarmed." The man said with outstretched arms in a gesture meant to calm her.

"Wh-who are you?" She choked out with a dry breath still struggling to acclimate the air she was breathing after having been deprived of oxygen for so long.

"My name is Agent Coulson, I'm with a special government organization called S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Wh-what do you want with me?" She asked, her voice starting to return to its proper tempo.

"First let me tell you about what we know rather than what we want. We know that your name is Carrie White daughter of Margret White and that you live at 1232 Everest Lane. Your father's name was James White whom you haven't seen in over ten years and that you go to Ewan high school…and that's not all that we know." He finished as he held up a cell phone that started playing a video of what had transpired at the school prom.

Carrie gasped as she squinted her eyes to look at the images playing on the tiny screen. It was as if she were watching someone else, she did not recognize the garish blood drenched girl in the video doing terrible things to so many people.

Her look of horror then changed to fear. Coulson could see a fight or flight response rising in her facial expressions. In her current mental state it was hard to tell what she might do. She could bring those terrible powers of hers to bear at any moment and the last thing the he wanted was to be on the receiving end of them. It didn't help that she looked like something off the TV series The Walking Dead, covered from head to toe in dirt.

Then…she began to lift her right hand.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing, please…don't do it."

"Why? How do I know this isn't just another trick?" She said as Coulson suddenly began to feel himself lift up off the ground.

"_Oh crap, where's Daryl and his crossbow when I really need him?" _He thought to himself, but that train of thought was suddenly interrupted as a voice came across a hidden ear receiver he was wearing.

"Sir! Do we take the shot?" A S.H.I.E.L.D. operative asked worriedly.

"No, don't, I've got this." He spoke through an ultra sensitive transceiver hidden in his other ear.

"Who are you talking to?" Carrie demanded with both anger and alarm as Coulson continued to hover.

"Just some friends, they're your friends to, if you want them to be?"

"More lies." She grumbled disapprovingly as she twisted her hand slightly causing Coulson's tie to begin tightening around his neck.

"It doesn't have to be this way Carrie, not if you don't want it to be."

"You don't understand, I…I…I killed my momma." She stuttered off at the end as she broke down into tears.

"In self-defense."

"How could you know that?"

"We know that your autopsy revealed wounds not associated with the injuries you received from the collapse of your home, stab and cut wounds more to the point. We know that your mother was a religious zealot and borderline psychotic based on what we've learned from people In town that we've spoken to. When she saw what you could do, she got scared. Probably thought you were a demon or a witch, tried to kill you. In your mental condition considering what had just happened to you at your prom, what came next was in the opinions of some…justifiable."

"How do you know all of this?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's our job to know." He answered.

"She wasn't the only one I killed."

"We know, but we know other things too." Coulson said as he proceeded to play another video on his phone.

"_Plug it up, plug it up, plug it up, plug it up…" _The video he had clicked on began to sing ominously. The same video that had been taken by her tormentors and then posted all across the net.

"You never asked for any of this Carrie…you were driven to it. Let us help you."

"Why? Why would you even care?"

"You're not alone Carrie, you've just became part of a much larger world. A world full of superheroes, aliens, super science and people just like you…people with special powers. There's a place for someone like you in it…if you want there to be?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Do you really have a choice?"

"Is that a threat?"

"Not from me."

"What does that mean?"

"Lets say that we walk away from this, and leave you to your own devices. You'll be hunted. And you'll be forced to use your powers once again to hurt and or kill more people, even if you don't want to. If you are caught, best case scenario is that you end up in a mental institution for the rest of your natural life, tied down and doped up with so much thorazine that you can't even string together a sentence let alone move or think. Or, if the attorneys decide to play hardball you get tried as sane and as an adult and are either sentenced to death for multiple counts of murder or sent to prison…not that we're entirely sure that a normal prison could hold you of course. Or worse yet the truth about you comes out. Meaning you'll probably be packed off to a top secret installation to be studied by countless scientists and dissected like a frog on a plate. Needless to say…none of these scenarios have happy endings."

After considering his words for a few moments, she lowered her arm and Coulson slowly came back down onto the ground.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Choose door number 4...and come with us."

"Meaning what?"

"We get you the help that you truly need…someone that will listen and help you cope with the turmoils of your life as it has been. And along the way we train you on how to fine tune and use your powers to help people. Think of it as your way of atoning for what you've done."

"Even after everything I did?"

"I'm a believer in second chances. Let me give you yours." Coulson said as he outstretched his right hand to her while taking a couple of cautious steps towards her.

Carrie looked down at his hand and then back up at him as if unsure how she should react.

"There's a better way Carrie…a better place."

"I…I should be dead…I deserve to be dead. I WANTED TO BE DEAD!"

"Maybe…but you're not. You survived. You survived your tormenters, you survived your mother, you even survived the house. You flat lined as soon as you were pulled from the wreckage and you were put in the ground. You SHOULD be dead…but you're not. You're special Carrie."

"I don't know what I am." She said as she began to sob.

"Then let us help you discover just who you really are."

They stared at each other for the longest time, you could cut the tension with a knife, Hell you could swath through it with a chainsaw for that matter.

After a very long silence Coulson spoke again.

"Please." He said with genuine sincerity.

He waited with baited breath for her answer, and unbeknownst to her…so did a dozen hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. agents armed with tranquilizer guns.

Finally…she reached her hand out to his.

As he took it she collapsed into his arms and started crying uncontrollably. Nearby the agents breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's alright Carrie, no one will ever hurt you again…you have my word." Coulson told her as they huddled down on the ground together.

Just then a different voice came through on the earpiece that Coulson was wearing.

"Agent Coulson, what is your status?" Nick Fury asked as Phil got back up and walked along with an arm draped over Carrie's shoulder.

"Everything is fine sir…we have her. Situation is under control…we're coming home."


	2. Long Road Ahead

**Author's note:** Okay, this was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but by popular demand I have decided to try and continue it. Here's the thing though. I've never written anything 'on the fly' as it were or 'as I go' so to speak. That seems to be the way that most authors here do it, but not me. Every story in my profile was already completed before I even posted the first chapter. I will usually spend months laboring on them before anything gets to see the light of day so I can catch errors, and refine them story wise by adding and or taking things out depending until I am truly happy with the finished product.

For this story I'm not doing that, so I hope that the quality won't suffer too much and readers will still enjoy it.

And since this will be an 'as I go' thing, there may be long gaps between updates also.

Another thing, though this is listed as primarily a crossover between Carrie 2013 and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. this story will also include the Marvel movie verse as a whole. That means Marvel Studios films as well as Spiderman, X-men and more.

In closing I just want to say that you have no idea how happy I am and how surprising it was for the first chapter to get the kind of reaction that it did. That's something I'm not used to. Thank you to all who took the time to read and review, I'll try not to let you down.

Thank you for your time.

**xxxxxxxxxxxx**

Location: somewhere just past the Vermont/New Hampshire border.

As dusk proceeded to descend upon the eastern United States, the outline of a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. issue Acura ZDX could be seen breaking the smooth edge of the horizon line.

Coulson was currently driving down interstate ninety-five heading southwest as part of what would be a long trip to a specialized S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in Vermont, and sitting next to him in the passenger seat…was Carrie White.

After the standoff at the cemetery, standard protocol would demand that Carrie be taken into custody and shoved into a S.H.I.E.L.D. patty wagon under heavy armed guard.

But after what she had been through already, Coulson decided against the protests of his peers, that she didn't need that. A mentally troubled teenager with telekinetic abilities sitting in a van with a bunch of 'jackbooted thugs' as Dr. Erik Selvig once called them pointing loaded guns at her? Not a good idea he thought. Needless to say he was glad that she had opted to come quietly, he was also glad that he didn't bring Lola, seeing how Carrie was still a tad soiled after digging her way out from beneath the earth.

Carrie had said nothing thus far in the distance that they had traveled, despite Coulson's best attempts at casual conversation. Starting to become drowsy behind the wheel the agent decided to pull over at a gas station to grab a coffee.

Once he had parked he turned to face Carrie.

"I'm going inside. Do you want anything?"

Carrie said nothing as she stared blankly out the front of the car's windshield.

"C'mon you've gotta be hungry. You were clinically dead for a week and then buried in a casket for at least 24 hours. That sounds like a good excuse to binge to me if there ever was one."

Still nothing.

"Are you sure? I hear this particular gas station has really good hot dogs."

Still more silence.

"How about a bathroom break? We've been driving for four hours after all."

After a few more moments of still more silence, Coulson finally went ahead and got out.

A few minutes later he returned and opened up the passenger's side door causing Carrie to flinch slightly as she looked up at him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." he said as he then sat a bag full of miscellaneous snacks on the floorboard right in front of her feet.

She looked down at the bag and then back up at Coulson as if unsure how she should react.

"It will still be several hours till we reach our destination, figured that you're bound to get hungry sooner or later." he told her as he gently closed the door and then walked around to get in the driver's side.

With his coffee securely in its cup holder they eventually set out on their way once again.

After no more than five minutes of staring at the food filled bag in front of her Carrie finally dug in. Her hunger was ravenous.

"Ah I see you like Sno balls too. So underrated they are, really glad Hostess came back, I was starting to have withdrawals." the S.H.I.E.L.D. operative joked.

Even if Carrie wanted to reply, her mouth was currently too stuffed to respond.

"How about some music?" Coulson suggested.

Carrie gave no reaction to speak of as he turned on the radio and started dialing through various stations.

But when he suddenly landed on a station that was playing the song cover 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' by Lykke Li, her hand abruptly shot out grabbing Coulson's to prevent him from dialing further. Coulson stopped turning and just watched her closely, for a few moments there nothing but the music.

"You like this song?" Coulson asked.

After a few more moments.

"Yes." She finally spoke.

"I agree, it's a good song. Course I prefer the original sung by The Shirelles myself, but it's all good."

Still staring strait ahead but in a slightly hunched over position she spoke yet again.

"Why?"

"Oh well, I guess it all has to do with what generation you were born in, not that I think there's anything wrong with the new version of the song mind you it's just that-"

"Not the song. Why, did you help me? Why are you doing this?" she cut him off.

"I thought we already had this conversation back in the cemetery?"

"That was different."

"Why?"

"Because I might have hurt you."

"You think that's the only reason I was willing to try to reason with you?"

"Maybe."

"Still having a hard time trusting me? I can respect that, trust is earned after all. And we've just met of course. I don't expect this to be a cakewalk."

"What if I changed my mind? Decided I didn't want to be any part of this? Would you let me go if asked you to?"

"I'd rather you give us a chance. I've already explained what probably will happen if the authorities get a hold of you."

"I just want to be left alone."

"I know. It's not fair, none of this is. But in my opinion, this is making the best of a bad situation."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I don't think you would like the answer."

Suddenly and abruptly the brake pedal on the car compressed…without Coulson's foot being anywhere near it.

As such the car screeched to a halt in the middle of the road, thankfully both occupants were buckled in and there was no one behind them at the time.

"Am I a prisoner?" She asked looking over at him.

"I prefer to think of it as protective custody."

"And if I think of it as something else?"

"Nothing is stopping you obviously. If you want you can use your powers to easily restrain me and then float away, or fly away? Do you float or fly by the way?"

"Do you really want to help me?" She asked, her facial expression a conflicted combination of skepticism and genuine curiosity.

"Yes."

After a long pause Coulson spoke up again.

"Am I allowed to get us under way again?" He asked.

After a few more seconds, the brake pedal released and Coulson once again had control of the vehicle as he applied the gas. Carrie then looked away, facing front once more before saying anything else.

"Was all of that stuff you said true. About heroes and stuff?" She asked him.

"Of course it was."

"You said I could be a part of that?"

"Yes…if you want to be."

"No." She quickly said looking away.

"Why?"

"Because heroes don't kill people." She stated forlornly.

"That wasn't you Carrie…not the real you."

"What do you mean?" She asked looking back at him again.

"You were pushed to your breaking point Carrie. You snapped, became someone else. You could only endure so much pain. You're only human after all."

"….Am I?" She responded after a long pause.

"Of course you are. And you could be so much more. You could be a hero…if you really wanted to be, just like the Avengers."

"Who?"

"The Avengers." Coulson stated nonchalantly as he looked over at her only to get a blank stare in return.

"Oh don't tell me you've never heard of the Avengers. I mean surely you've seen them on TV or the internet or-"

"I never had a TV…or a computer…mother wouldn't allow it." she said as she started to break down into tears.

It was clear that despite what her mother had put her through and even after trying to kill her, there was a part of Carrie that still loved her and would always feel remorse for what she had done. As she continued to sob Coulson reached over and placed a hand upon her shoulders as she cried out a seemingly endless reservoir of personal torment and pain.

It was also obvious that the road to Carrie's recovery stretched out far longer than the one that currently lie ahead of them. But she wouldn't be walking it alone…Phil swore on that.


	3. Flesh Wounds And Field Reports

Location, Vermont.

Not too far from their final destination Carrie finally had to answer the call of nature, and she made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't make it to where they were heading first before a possible 'accident'. As such they had pulled over at another random gas station and Coulson now stood waiting outside the ladies restroom while Carrie took care of business as well as trying to clean herself up somewhat.

Just then Coulson received a call on his phone from agent May.

"Hello?"

"Coulson, where are you?"

"About twenty minutes from touchdown, why?"

"Cat's outta the bag, word has gotten out that Carrie White is still alive."

"How? I thought the entire Ewan High School incident was being ruled a freak accident."

"That was before high res photos of Carrie White climbing out of her grave went viral."

"What happened? We had the cemetery and surrounding area cleared of any possible witnesses' before we even went in."

"Well, that didn't stop someone from snapping pics with a 2400 mm lens from over 2 miles away. Apparently from an apartment window."

"Alright then do some damage control."

"Too late, the F.B.I. already has them and is using them to corroborate Sue Snell's story. Carrie is now officially been placed on the F.B.I.'s meta most wanted list. And an A.P.B. has been fed into every police database from Maine to Ohio. You need to get her to the facility now."

"_Damn it." _Coulson thought.

"Right , I'm on it, thanks." He said hanging up as Carrie stepped out of the bathroom.

"Better?" He asked.

"Yeah, who was that on the phone you were talking to?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, c'mon lets go." He told her as he ushered her towards the car, but just then…

"Freeze!" Someone yelled from behind them as Coulson and Carrie turned around to see a cop with his gun drawn.

Turns out that the officer in question had just pulled into the station when the A.P.B. that May had mentioned came through on his computer.

Carrie froze, powers or not she had never had a gun pointed at her before and she was terrified, but Coulson remained cool calm and collected.

"Officer, if you would just allow me to explain."

"Step aside!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Who are you?"

"My name is agent Phil Coulson, I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Okay, why are you with her?"

"She's actually in my custody."

"I have orders to bring her in…dead or alive."

"I'm sorry for the confusion. When we reached our destination the plan was to contact the F.B.I. and inform them that all of this was not necessary and that we were handling the Carrie White situation."

"Well, maybe that isn't good enough for me."

"Excuse me?" Coulson said with some slight bewilderment.

"That school that she torched…my niece went there. She…she didn't make it." The officer said as he started to tear up.

"I'm sorry to hear that, you have my sympathies. But I'm afraid that my orders are clear and as much as I hate to say it they do outrank yours."

"You think that you outrank a bullet?" The cop said as his sorrow was quickly replaced by anger.

"Do you intend to shoot a government agent, officer? I wouldn't advise that."

"Not you, just her."

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that."

"It ain't about what YOU allow. She's a monster! That little bitch is going to pay for what she did!" He shouted.

"Surely we can talk this over like civilized-" BANG!

Coulson's comment was cut off by the firing of the officer's gun. But at the last second the agent stepped into its path as the bullet went into his right arm.

Scared out of her mind, Carrie simply reacted almost unconsciously as her powers came into play once again. A telekinetic punch suddenly slammed into the cop sending him flying back and smacking into the side of the gas station wall next to the restroom doors. He then slumped down out cold.

Coulson than looked over at what she did and then motioned for Carrie to get into the car as he awkwardly climbed into the driver's seat.

"Can you drive like that?" She asked with genuine worry.

"I'll be fine, we just need to get out of here, we're almost there." He reassured her as they got in and sped off.

Twenty minutes later, they reached the clandestine underground S.H.I.E.L.D. facility as they pulled into what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Once inside the floor itself seemed to lift up as they drove down an inclining ramp before the floor closed up behind them again.

A few moments later.

"You're lucky Coulson." The onsite S.H.I.E.L.D. paramedic informed the operative as she bandaged him up.

"Will he be okay?" Carrie asked.

"He'll be fine, it was just a flesh wound."

"What happens if the police come here?" Carrie went on.

"Not gonna happen. Right before we pulled off the main drag every single camera for ten miles went dark. More so, we're in a sealed off area that the general public believes is under construction and is inaccessible to local traffic. There's no way anyone outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. even knows we're here. We'll be fine." Coulson explained.

"I…I can't believe you did that. You could've been killed."

"Just doing my job. Besides, I told you that no one was ever going to hurt you again Carrie and I meant it."

"I don't know what to say."

"Thank you would be good." He spoke with a smile and a laugh.

"Thank you." Carrie responded sincerely.

"No problem, that's what we're here for." Coulson told her.

"I still can't believe you took a bullet for me."

"Oh relax, if I'm not getting shot at least once a week I'm not doing my job right." Phil joked.

"Why didn't you just let him shoot me?"

"What? Now what kind of monster would I be if I had done that?"

"I thought I was the monster…that's what the policeman said."

Coulson exhaled deeply before speaking again.

"Carrie, I'm not going to lie to you. That night at your prom. There were allot of innocent victims, not everyone there hated you or picked on you. You know that right?"

"Yes." She admitted regretfully as she hung her head.

"Now maybe there's a part of you that feels like you deserve to die for that. But despite it all I still believe in second chances. So are you truly grateful that I saved you?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to make it up to me?"

"Yes."

"Then dedicate yourself to something bigger than yourself. Your future and the path you choose has as much to do with redemption as it does getting your life back together."

"I'm not sure if I can. I'm scared."

"Nothing wrong with that. The key isn't to be fearless, but to face your fears and overcome them. Can you try to do that for me?"

After a long pause Carrie finally answered.

"Yes."

A short time later…

Carrie's eyes grew wide as she looked about a rather lavish looking room that made her room back at her old home rather quaint by comparison.

"Is, is this mine?" Carrie asked.

"Yes it is." Coulson said as she looked around the room that would be her personal quarters during her stay here, "Try to make yourself at home, if you need anything just ring this buzzer." He concluded pointing at a button next to her bed.

The agent then started to turn to leave when Carrie suddenly called after him.

"Mr. Coulson?"

"Yes?"

"…thank you."

"No problem." He said with a casual smile as he turned back around and continued out.

Once the door had closed behind them he made a beeline for the most secure room in the facility as he went through the motions of performing various button codes and security scans. When the final door that barred his path finally opened, his team was standing there waiting for him. Agent Grant Ward, one of the best field agents since Romanov. Melinda May, practically Ward's equal in skill and an accomplished pilot. Jenna Simmons, bio-chemist who specializes in life sciences both human and alien. Leo Fitz, a weapons, technology expert and engineer. And Skye, a former Rising Tide hacktivist and cyberspace expert.

"Talk to me." Coulson said matter of factly.

As such Simmons stepped up first.

"Well, she isn't a mutant. Blood samples we acquired from the coroner's office showed no sign of the 'X' genome in her genetic code. And also no sign of any other biological cause for her powers."

"Fitz?" Coulson moved on quickly.

"No sign of any biotech, nanotech, genetic engineering or anything else that would fit the mold of recent attempts at super soldiers or anything else for that matter."

"And the mystery photographer that blew our cover?"

"We pinpointed where the pics were taken but the perp was long gone." May jumped in.

"He probably spotted our vehicles heading for the cemetery and picked out a cozy spot to spy from." Ward added.

"Any clues?" Coulson asked as Skye stepped forward.

"A member of the underground, part of a cyber group called the 'First Amenders'."

"Status?"

"Already busted, we nailed them and the photographer about fifteen minutes after May called you." Ward informed.

"Good, back to Carrie. Theories?"

For the first time there was silence…Coulson didn't like that.

"Um…freak accident?" Simmons said rather sheepishly.

"Surely you can do better than that."

"Well, we've exhausted all our natural options." Fitz chimed in.

"Seems you know more about what she isn't rather than what she is."

"Um…yeah." Simmons finally admitted.

"Keep working on it, and let me know when you do find something." Coulson told them as he turned to leave.

"Yes sir." the group almost said in unison as they dispersed as well.

As they did though, Ward looked over his shoulder shooting Coulson a none too pleasant look. Coulson caught it, but gave no indication to Ward that he had.

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**Author's note:** Just wanted to say thank you for all of the great support that readers and reviewers have given this little story. It is sooooo ironic. There are stories in my profile that I have labored on for months or even years that have barely been touched by anyone, but this, a tale that was never meant to be more than a oneshot is what people want more of. LOL Well, I will certainly try my best to make it worth your while. I have 5 more chapters currently planned with more on the way afterward I hope. :)

While I'm here I have a question for the readers. I was thinking of introducing a love interest for Carrie, a boy her own age who also has special powers, but I'm undecided right now. Should I or should I just focus on the friendship bond being formed between Carrie and Coulson? Please give me feedback on this.

And thanks again to all of you who have supported this story, I will try to update a little more frequently. :)


	4. Baby Steps

**Author's note: **It was recently brought to my attention that the Carrie film actually took place in Chamberlain Maine, so I finally have the real location and have edited the previous chapters accordingly. As such the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility is now in Vermont instead of New Mexico.

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The S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.

A couple of weeks later.

"Hi, my name is Aaron and I'm a former postal service worker who discovered I had super-strength when I licked an angry pit-bull that was trying to bite me a country mile and then wrapped a metal mailbox around the angry owner's head."

"Hiiiiii, Aaron." A chorus of voices all rang out in unison.

"Um, my name is Kimberly and I uh, can gain sustenance from absorbing practically any form of energy known to man. Ever since the accident that did this to me I can no longer eat normal food or drink water. And if I try it makes me horribly ill. Normally what I do is harmless, but if I take in too much it tends to cause problems…like when I accidentally blacked out the eastern seaboard."

"Hiiiiii, Kimberly." The group of voices rang out yet again.

"Uh, hi, my name is Derek and I found out that if I look at something for too long I set it on fire. Guess it's a good thing that my mother-in-law hasn't paid me a visit recently."

"Hiiiii, Derek." The same chorus of voices spoke a third time with some laughter mixed in this time.

This particular installation was used by S.H.I.E.L.D. as a sort of boarding house for those with unusual abilities that weren't quite sure how to cope with them. In this particular room close to a dozen different individuals had been gathered together for an AA style meeting to introduce themselves…and sitting in with this particular group, was a very nervous Carrie White.

Though she was listening intently to every word that was said, her gaze remained fixed upon the floor in her usual awkward fashion as she fiddled uncomfortably with the hem of her dress.

When the speaker finally got to Carrie however she refused to speak.

"Carrie? Carrie honey, it's your turn."

After a few more moments she began to silently shake her head rapidly in a 'no' gesture.

"Carrie, sweetie it's alright."

"No, no you don't understand." She finally spoke in a hushed voice.

"Oh honey of course we do, that's why you're here."

"No, it's not the same. Wha-what I did-"

"Doesn't matter." The speaker cut her off, "There's no judgment here."

"No, no, no I can't, I can't!" She went on as her nervousness only grew more intense.

Suddenly various objects in the room began to shake and vibrate where they lie. A pen, books on a shelf, water bottles and more. Carrie couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Even in a room full of people that were as unique as her the one thing that still separated her from them was that none of them had ever killed anyone. Hurt perhaps, but not killed, and she had wiped out almost her entire graduating class.

Suddenly she realized that everyone in the room was staring at her…she hated it when people stared at her.

"Stop looking at me!" She screamed as a telekinetic wave came off of her that sent everyone sliding in their chairs to opposite ends of the room.

In a panic she got up and ran out of the room, only to run into agent Coulson.

'Hey, hey, hey, it's okay." He said as he gripped her shoulders, "I was just coming by to check on you, what's wrong?"

"I can't go back in there!"

"Yes, you can."

"No!"

"Carrie, this part of the healing process. If you ever want to reconcile your past and move on into your future you must do this. You know that right?"

"You don't understand…I'm not like them." She said as tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Of course you are, you are just as afraid and unsure as they are and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But what they did, compared to what I...what I..." She tried to stammer out.

"It's okay, just calm down." He said placing his right hand on the side of her head.

"I can't tell them what I did." She said as more tears came.

"Yes, you can. I know what you did, and you don't see me turning my back on you do you?" He asked as she finally began to calm down, "Now how about we go back into that room and give this session another chance, okay?" Coulson told her as he slowly led her back into the room in question.

Upon reentering she was greeted not with looks of fear or shock, but comforting smiles instead from the group.

"Hey, we didn't mean to upset you, won't you please sit down with us again?" One of the boys asked politely.

"Yeah, we know what it's like ourselves for people to look at us like we're freaks, we definitely shouldn't do that to each other." Another spoke up.

"We're sorry." A third added sincerely.

For the briefest of moments, Carrie let her guard down ever so slightly and allowed herself a brief half smile.

Meanwhile, watching through a one way mirror window in an adjacent room, was agent Ward. Stepping into the room with him shortly thereafter was Coulson as he walked up next to his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. operative.

"Something you want to say?" Phil asked as the two of them continued gazing strait ahead without looking at one another.

"Yes, this is a mistake."

"She'll get better at controlling it."

"I don't mean her powers, I mean her being here at all."

"What would you have me do?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"Not liking the hostility vibes I'm getting from you Ward."

"And that surprises you?"

"She just needs time."

"Time to what? Burn down another high school full of teenagers? Why is she even here? You going to tell me that she isn't an alpha level threat with possible potential for omega?"

"Potential to be…doesn't mean she is."

"Yet. She's a bomb waiting to go off."

"Then we diffuse the bomb."

"She's a monster."

"No she isn't."

"Tell that to the parents of the Ewan high school massacre victims."

"What she is, is a terrified young girl. Do you have any idea what she has been put through? Have you seen the video?"

"I have."

"And?"

"And what?" You trying to tell me that that justifies what she did?"

"She snapped, she was pushed into this."

"Why? Because some teenagers said some mean things to her? That's life. Being bullied and picked on is just part of growing up."

That last comment made Coulson pause for a moment and then turn his head to look at Ward, who also did the same.

"Is it really?" Phil said with honest disbelief.

"Yes." Ward replied rather bluntly.

"Ward, you are probably in all truth the last person on this team qualified to even begin to understand what she's been through."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"When you were in college you were an all-star athlete, I'd wager things weren't that much different for you back in high school. You were the guy that girls fawned over and that other guys wished they were. You were a jock, and a popular one at that. Just what exactly would you know about being bullied or about being a shunned outcast."

"Why does any of this even matter? And why do you care so much about this random telekinetic?"

"Because, that used to be me when I was her age. I was the uncool nerd that everyone hated. I dealt with all of the same slings and arrows that she did growing up."

"But you turned out just fine, how is this helping your argument?"

Now the rest of Coulson's body turned to line up with his line of sight as his stare bore into his subordinate like a drill.

"I turned out fine because despite everything I still had people in my life who loved me, stood by me and helped me get through those tough times. She had none of that. Her own mother tried to kill her and the only other person in her life that ever showed her any kindness was a gym teacher who now wants nothing to do with her in light of the incident. Now she has nothing and no one…except us."

"Be that as it may, it still does not excuse what she did."

"Don't stand there and pretend like this was entirely her fault. You think she walked into that prom with premeditated plans to kill everyone? Of course not. She was there to experience the first real moments of happiness that she ever had in her entire life…only to have them crushed. And you clearly didn't read the full report. A boy named Tommy Ross, Carrie's date, was killed because of the cruel joke they played on her. That was the real catalyst for her rage."

"So two wrongs make a right?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying sir?"

"That it's…complicated."

"Not from where I sit."

"From where you're sitting you're not seeing the whole picture. She can be redeemed, if given a chance to. I'm not saying it will be easy, but there's always hope."

"You willing to risk your life to prove that, she nearly got you killed once already. Maybe it would have been better if that bullet that grazed you had hit her."

For the longest time Coulson and Ward just glowered at each other.

"This conversation is over." Coulson said abruptly as he turned and walked away.


	5. Connections And Conflicts

Location: S.H.I.E.L.D. training facility.

Inside Carrie's room, the traumatized teenager currently lie huddled upon her bed curled up in a fetal position and sobbing. Just outside her door, agent Phil Coulson was speaking with a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrist.

"So I take it things aren't going well?" He asked.

"It's a tightrope act in there, and an ugly one," She began as Coulson listened to what she had to say, it was hoped that a female authority figure might be more successful in reaching her after the bond that she had formed with Ewan high school gym teacher Ms. Desjardin, "She refuses to forgive herself for killing her own mother, never mind the fact that Margaret White tried to kill her and was clearly deranged herself. As for the prom, Carrie knows what she did was wrong but still hates them all for what they did to her and Tommy. Seriously sir, have you considered the possibility that she can't be rehabilitated?"

With that statement Coulson stepped in close with a very stern gaze.

"I asked for you to be brought in because you are the best in your field. You're supposed to heal people. So fix what's broken."

"I'm not a miracle worker sir."

"She doesn't need a miracle…" He began to say as he moved past her towards the door to Carrie's room, "…she just needs someone to understand." He finished as he reached for the door handle.

As it clicked and turned Carrie sat up quickly almost flinching, but noticeably relaxed once she saw that it as Coulson.

"Hi, is this a bad time? Can I come in?" he asked waiting in the half opened doorway.

Carrie simply nodded and gestured for him to come in as he then shut the door behind him and walked over to sit upon the foot of her bed.

"Hopefully you can forgive this rather stupid question, but, how are you doing?" He asked.

"How do you think? I'm a murderer." She spoke softly with fresh tears still in her eyes.

"Technically so am I you know."

"What?"

"Yeah, I have a license to kill after all."

"That's different. You kill bad people." She reasoned as she looked away.

"Yeah, allot of the time, but sometimes I've had to kill people that weren't."

That comment got Carrie's attention as she looked back at him.

"Really? Why?"

"Sometimes it boils down to the choices that they make. Sometimes it's about the greater good, about protecting people. A formerly innocent scientist too blinded by his ambition to realize what his experiments are going to do. Someone with superpowers who can't cope with them and poses a threat and the list goes on."

"That last one sounds like me. Course I tried to kill myself…and I couldn't even do that right." She whimpered looking away once more.

"I understand."

"No offense, you seem like a nice guy, but unless you've died and come back recently I don't really think you can." She claimed as she reached up and wiped away more tears from her face.

After that Coulson said nothing but instead proceeded to unbutton his coat and shirt. Carrie looked back at him oddly, trying to figure out just what in the world he was doing and why. She gasped when he bared the part of his bare chest where Loki's scepter had gone through him.

"What is that?"

"That's what happens when an Asgardian spear goes into your back and out your chest." Phil said rather nonchalantly.

"Did it hurt?"

"Oh yeah. And then there was the dying part, that sucked too."

Carrie looked up at Coulson with shock when he said that.

"So you've died and come back too?"

"I'm still not sure just how long I was gone, but yeah."

"Can I…touch it?" She asked awkwardly.

After some contemplation on his part Coulson finally nodded as Carrie gingerly reached out and ran her fingers over the scar. It was in that moment that she realized that Coulson's attempts at kindness and friendship were not a ruse or cruel joke. She could trust him, Hell, he'd taken a bullet for her.

"Carrie, whatever happens in the future, I just want you to know that I am your friend and I will always be here for you. Do you understand? Do you believe me?"

"I do now." She spoke with a genuine smile.

A week later.

Onboard the modified Boeing C-17 known as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Globemaster, also called 'the bus', Agent Ward and team consultant Skye were in the middle of a workout session in the cargo hold. Ward was hammering a punching bag mercilessly as Skye tried desperately to hold it in place, but it was proving difficult.

"Well, you seem grumpy, well I guess I should say grumpier than normal." Skye said with a sarcastic wink.

Normally her little jabs did a good job of irritating Ward, but this time he acted as if he didn't even hear her.

"Uh Ward?"

Still nothing. Other than an increasing intensity as he continued to pummel the punching bag until Skye could swear she could feel the punches through it.

"Whoa, whoa easy there Ivan Drago, what's got you all worked up?" She asked in a combination of both curiosity and concern.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He dismissed her as he turned and walked away from the bag to grab a towel and take a swig of water from his bottle.

"Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the new girl would it?" She asked.

Ward paused for a brief moment and then turned and looked at her with a none too happy expression.

"Heard you and Coulson had a little spat over her."

"Just a simple disagreement is all."

"You got a problem with her?"

"Maybe I do."

"Is it because of what happened at her school?"

"Yes."

"So what do you think?"

"I think she's dangerous."

"Ok, granted. What else?"

"She's a murderer, plain and simple."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Ah, I see."

"Don't tell me you're siding with Coulson."

"I'm not making any excuses for her, I'm just saying."

"What are you 'just saying'?"

"Listen I saw the videos-"

"Oh not that again!"

"I don't know about you, but bullying is allot more severe now than it was years ago. I knew a girl in my graduating class that killed herself because of it. It's pretty serious actually."

"Maybe that's what Carrie White should've done. Thanks to her there won't be a graduating of class of '13 at Ewan high school."

"Okay then, what do you suggest?"

"At the very least. Have her sedated into a permanent coma for the rest of her natural life and locked away under maximum security."

"And at the most?"

All Ward did was look at her, his face spoke volumes without him having to say a single word.

"Jesus!" Skye spat.

"I can assure you he has nothing to do with this or her."

"You really think she's that bad?"

"And you don't?"

"The way you talk she's the worst super villain that ever came down the pike. I mean common it's not like she's Loki or the Ten Rings."

"No…she's even worse."

"How do you figure that?"

"Guys like Loki, the Ten Rings, A.I.M.. They're pretty strait forward. You know what to expect from the likes of them. They're warmongering terrorists with delusions of grandeur. Carrie White on the other hand, is completely unpredictable, especially her powers."

"So are you thinking there's going to be another 'Jean Grey' incident?"

Ward looked at her with genuine shock.

"That's classified!" He shouted disapprovingly.

"Um hello, did you forget for a moment what I used to do before you guys plucked me up? I mean yeah sure you guys did a great job of keeping what happened from the public eye, but there's no one in the underground that doesn't know about the Alcatraz island incident."

"Well, anyway it's all the more reason that she shouldn't even be here as far as I'm concerned."

"It's not like she asked for any of this. And I thought it was the death of her prom date that sent her over the edge?" Skye tried to reason as Ward turned and started to leave.

"Maybe…or maybe she just used that as an excuse." He claimed as he stopped for a moment.

"Oh c'mon!" Skye said with obvious outrage as Ward looked over his shoulder at her.

"What do you mean 'c'mon'? Why is it that because she has special powers she gets some kind of pass? If she were a regular kid who went off on her classmates then this would've been treated no differently than Columbine or Virginia Tech. Why is everyone so eager to sweep this under a rug, Coulson especially? It doesn't make any damn sense! She's a liability…and a lethal one." He finished before walking out.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Chamberlain, Maine

In a dark room where only two silhouettes could be seen, something terrible was being plotted, planned and conceived.

"I trust everything is in order?" A man who sat at a desk asked."

"It is." The second answered with a pronounced Irish accent.

"I've paid your exorbitant fee for your services, so you had better deliver."

"I will."

"Good, you know that I cannot to be connected to this in any way."

"Oh don't worry, you'll be mister clean I assure you."

"Excellent, contact me when the job is complete. Do we have an agreement?"

"We do."

"I'll leave you to it then."

"Anything else?"

"Just your personal guarantee that Carrie White will die."

With that the other individual suddenly pulled a pen out of his coat that he threw across the room into a photo of Carrie, it stuck right between her eyes. He had done so without even looking where he was aiming.

"That, I can bloody well promise." The Irishman boasted as he turned and walked away.


	6. Targeted

Somewhere in the suburbs of Rutland Vermont.

Bernard Jacobson was wrenched from his peaceful slumber by an alarm clock that hated him as he groggily reached over and slapped his hand upon the snooze for the third time, but realized that he must at last get up. So began his usual morning routine as he showered and got dressed in preparation for another day at the S.H.I.E.L.D. meta facility.

Once he left his home he stopped at a local gas station to grab some breakfast on the go and a coffee, but before departing made a pit stop at the restroom.

Imagine his surprise when he opened the door to see what looked like a mirror reflection of him standing there.

"What the Hell?" He said with understandable confusion.

"Hello there." His doppelganger said back in an identical voice right before hitting him with a taser and dragging him into the restroom as the door slammed shut.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bernard slowly came to only to realize that he was tied to a chair. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings he saw that he was in a warehouse of some kind. He quickly searched his suit cuffs for the various hidden tools that a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would use to cut free of such bonds only to discover that they were gone. Gone also was his communicator that he would otherwise use to contact HQ and call for help.

"Looking for these?" His mysterious twin asked as he stepped into view from behind him as he held up a clear plastic bag full of standard S.H.I.E.L.D issue paraphernalia, "You guys really are like walking talking Swiss army knives aren't ya?"

"Who the Hell are you and why do you look like me?" The restrained agent shouted angrily.

"Sorry pal, but I'll be asking the questions here. Let's start with where your little pet freaks base is shall we? And you're also going to tell me how to use this?" His captor explained as he held up Jacobson's S.H.I.E.L.D. security pass card.

"You'll get nothing out of me, I'll never talk!"

His captor simply smiled at him in a rather wicked fashion as he turned away from him to look over at a table full of horrifying looking torture implements.

"I was really hoping you would say that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

No one suspected a thing as the imposter agent entered the compound. His disguise was full proof. A disguise that included special contacts to fool the retina scanners and his own recently trained ability of voice mimicry.

The security scanners and cameras showed nothing out of the ordinary or signs of anything on him that could remotely be considered a weapon as he passed through.

"Hey Jacobson, why we're you so late?" One of his friends asked as three other agents walked up to him once he came inside.

It was then that the unassuming looking agent suddenly lashed out as he reached into his coat and pulled out three toothpicks. When he flung them each of them embedded themselves into the foreheads of the three agents piercing into their frontal lobes, death was instantaneous. The fake then made his way to the sub basement where the primary breaker box was using Jacobson's security pass card to bypass all locked doors. He then cut the power to the overhead elevator.

Meanwhile agent Coulson was just pulling in overhead in the warehouse, he realized something was wrong right away when the secret elevator wouldn't activate.

Down below, two more agents appeared around the corner only to be stabbed by bizarre tiny throwing stars that their attacker released from his belt buckle. They sliced through major arteries when they struck their targets. But just then another agent managed to land a glancing blow with a sneak attack as he began to trade blows with the intruder. But the exchange was ended when the traitor performed a backflip kick that knocked the agent on his back. Before he could get back up he was impaled in the throat by several paper clips that had been straitened out that pierced his trachea as he fell back down upon the floor grasping at his neck.

After several failed attempts to get in Coulson decided to take drastic measures as he walked over to specific part of the warehouse wall that looked completely unassuming and leaned over in front of it. As he did so a hidden retina scanner activated scanning his eye ball and verifying his identity as a secret compartment suddenly opened revealing a assortment of weaponry. Coulson quickly reached in and grabbed a bazooka.

The renegade agent in question slowly but surely made his way through the compound taking out any other agents that he encountered until he finally reached his objective…the room of Carrie White. Along the way he had used Jacobson's security card to lockdown all of the other occupant rooms so that he wouldn't have to worry about interference from the other empowered residents. During his combat with the other agents he thought he had heard what sounded like an explosion up above somewhere but wasn't sure.

Inside, Carrie was completely unaware of what was transpiring outside, so when the rogue agent first entered the room she was not at all alarmed.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"You need to come with me." He said as Carrie turned away for a brief moment to turn off a lamp.

That was the opening he was waiting for.

Abruptly he flung what looked to be leadless pencil into the back of Carrie's neck making her scream as she spun back around. As she did her powers lashed out blindly, but it was still enough to send her assailant flying back out the door and sliding across the floor. He recovered quickly however as he hopped back up and proceeded to walk back into the room.

Carrie tried to use her powers again, but found herself highly disoriented and unable to focus.

"Having problems there sweetheart?" The man said as his accent changed abruptly from American to Irish.

Carrie then collapsed upon the floor, overcome by complete vertigo as the room itself began to spin around her.

"Bet you're wondering why you're feeling all pukey eh darlin? Just a little something I whipped up myself to slow ya down. See, I did my homework on you. I know what you can do. Probably turn me inside out if you could. But your powers ain't no good to you if you can't focus." He explained as he reached up and proceeded to seemingly peel his own face off. Except that it wasn't actually his face, it was a mask instead, "Ah, that's soooo much better." He finished as he tossed it aside.

The true face of the infiltrator was one of Irish decent, bald and with the mark of what appeared to be a bullseye upon his forehead. He then began to walk around Carrie's prone form upon the floor as he started to speak again.

"Greetings babe, the name is Bullseye, and I'm here to kill ya. Now I know what you're thinking. Why go to all this trouble? Well, okay, what you're probably really thinkin is why is the goddamn room spinning! But anyways, yeah, why not snipe ya from a safe distance when the opportunity presented itself? Well, babe, that just isn't my style. I like things to be up close and personal. I like my targets to know who it was that killed em before they die. That plus, I've never infiltrated a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility before. That's a new personal best for me, and God knows I love showing off. I'll admit, having to sneak in here all super spy and such ain't usually how I operate, but I couldn't very well charge in here guns blazing now could I? And aside from that, the pay day I got for this job? Heh, let's just say I was willing to try something a little different."

As Carrie tried desperately to make sense of the world around her she managed to twist around on the floor and awkwardly reach out grabbing Bullseye's ankle.

"Oh what's this now? Begging for mercy? Oh that's rich honey, considering what you did. I mean let's be honest, you didn't show your classmates any mercy. Yeah, you know I may be a killer but I ain't never killed any kids, even a sicko like me has some scruples. The things you did to them…" He started with a slight shudder, "Even makes my skin crawl. And that's part of why I'm here after all. I mean did you seriously think there wouldn't be any repercussions? Sooo many victims, soooo many angry parents and friends. Even angrier once they learned you were still alive and were you were. One thing I've learned from all this, vengeance makes for one Hell of a paycheck."

Bullseye then pulled out a playing card as he leaned down next to where Carrie lie. He then grabbed hold of her head and wrenched it up uncomfortably as he put it at her throat. Normally a playing card would not be considered a deadly weapon, but in Bullseye's hands that's what everything became.

"Say goodnight baby." He menaced.

But just as he was about to cut her throat he was suddenly kicked in the face from the side by Coulson knocking him away and causing him to drop the card. He then grabbed Bullseye and threw him back out into the hall way as he slid across the floor

"Get away from her!" He shouted.

"You gonna make me pencil neck?" Bullseye snarked as he whipped out several of his shuriken throwing stars and hurled them at Coulson who expertly dodged them as he closed the gap between them.

The two of them immediately started taking swings and kicks at each other, but continuously blocked and deflected each other's strikes until Bullseye suddenly whipped out a another playing card that he tried to slice Coulson with. But Coulson caught his hand and performed a standing armlock that he used to make Bullseye punch himself in the face with his own fist as he bent it back towards him. Taking advantage of the split second loss of focus on Bullseye's part he grabbed hold of the cuffs of his jacket and did a rapid spin twist that pulled and whipped it off of him. All of Bullseye's various instruments were in it as Coulson tossed it aside.

"Let's see how tough you are without your toys." Coulson challenged him as the fight began anew.

Bullseye went for several throat jabs that Coulson dodged before jumping over an attempted floor level sweep kick. Coulson then connected with crescent kick that knocked Bullseye square on his rump.

Just as Bullseye got back up Coulson tackled him into an office room as they both smashed through the door in the process. They both got up quickly as they started trading punches until Coulson caught one of Bullseye's swings and judo flipped him onto the desk as he hit hard and rolled off of it. But Bullseye quickly countered as he snatched up a computer monitor that he had knocked off and backhanded Coulson with it before spear tackling the agent into a file cabinet knocking it over.

The assassin then wrenched Coulson up as he drove three successive punches right into his gut before head butting him. He then went for a roundhouse right but Coulson ducked it as he grabbed Bullseye and suplexed him into a shelving unit on the wall bringing everything on it crashing down on top of them as they smashed into it. Once more they pulled themselves up as they smacked each other with pieces of the shelving before Coulson blocked one swing and gave Bullseye an elbow shot to the jaw.

As the killer staggered back Coulson lunged, but he was caught in midair and power slammed through the desk as their combined weight smashed through and demolished it. Coulson rolled away as he struggled to get back up. Bullseye advanced on him but the agent reached up with his legs locking them around his head before slamming it into a water cooler as it fell over. Still disoriented Bullseye wasn't able to dodge having the five gallon water jug from the cooler thrown at him as he caught it but was bowled over by its weight as he did so. He fell onto the copier/printer as Coulson ran up behind him.

Before he could get back up Coulson grabbed Bulleye's head as he lifted up the lid on the copier as he smashed it down onto Bullseye's face again and again as photo printouts of Bullseye's face starting popping out as he did so. But having had enough of this Bullseye did a back kick that caught Coulson in the crotch dropping him to his knees as he then gave him a backwards elbow to the face dropping him the rest of the way. As Coulson started to get back up an electrical cord was wrapped around his neck as Bullseye attempted to strangle him, but Coulson managed to get back up and with a yelling jump threw both he and Bullseye through the glass wall of the office as they both went rolling back into the adjacent hallway.

"Uh oh, lookie what I have." Bullseye gloated as he held a piece of broken glass in each hand.

He then leaped forward like a coiled snake striking at its prey as he took multiple swings at Coulson who dodged this way and that, but the fight had taken its toll on both them and Bulleye's speed and aim wasn't as fast as it would be if he were fresh. But the same could be said for Coulson as he was finally sliced across the arm with one particular swing. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent managed to kick that piece of glass from his hand as Bullseye went in the for kill with the other going for the throat. But Coulson grabbed his wrist and rolled backwards flipping him overtop of him as he did so.

As soon as he sprung back up though Coulson plowed into him yet again. Once they were both down Coulson wrestled around until he got a firm grip on Bullseye's right arm and put him into an armbar as he proceeded to hyper extend the elbow threatening to break it. But Bullseye rolled backwards countering the hold as he mounted Coulson and reared back with another glass shard ready to stab him only to be kicked in the face. The agent then followed it up with a stiff kick to his left knee causing it to dislocate for a spit second as it gave out beneath him. As Bullseye fell Coulson sprang up with a paperweight from the destroyed desk in his hand smashing it across his face as he toppled over. Rising to a sitting position he caught Coulson off guard with a glass hard swipe that sliced across his stomach. But Coulson countered with a knee to the face putting him back down on his back. Now teetering on the edge of unconsciousness Bullseye groggily rose back up onto his knees. Coulson then ended the fight with a right cross directly to his temple as he finally went down and out for the count.

Coulson just stood there for several moments, breathing heavily and bleeding from face punches and several body cuts. He had taken one Hell of a beating, one he would most certainly feel in the morning, but he had stopped Bullseye none the less.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

In a secure unknown location Bullseye currently sat in a room in front of a table with his feet in restraints bolted to the floor and his hands separately bolted onto the table in front of him. Outside stood Coulson, Fitz, Simmons and Skye. Ward and May were currently on their way.

"Toothpicks through solid bone, playing cards slicing jugulars, paper clips through tracheas? It's both fascinating and ludicrous all at the same time." Fitz observed.

"And also completely impossible, at least for a human being it should be." Simmons added.

"Bullseye's abilities have always been an enigma, one that no amount of scrutiny has ever been able to discern. Not that I really care at the moment. What matters to me is who hired him and why they put a hit out on Carrie." Coulson responded, "I'm going in." He finished as he started to turn towards the door to the interrogation room.

"But shouldn't you wait for Ward? I thought interrogation was his specialty?" Skye questioned.

"It is, but I'm handling this one personally." Coulson replied as he went inside, leaving his teammates to look at one another rather oddly.

Once he stepped in he locked the door behind him and then turned back to look at Bullseye, who merely smiled up at him.

"Normally I have to pay good money for something like this." Bullseye quipped lewdly, who likewise showed the scars from his battle with Coulson.

"Tell us who hired you."

"Say please." Bullseye joked.

"You think this is funny?"

"A little, yeah."

"Start talking."

"Sorry, but I'm a firm believer in customer confidentiality."

"We have ways of making you talk."

"Oooooh, I'm shaking in my boots." The assassin snickered as he broke out into full laughter.

Coulson calmly turned away, only to spin back around and stab a knife down into his right hand as Bullseye screamed.

"TALK!" Coulson shouted.

"Go f$%k yourself." The killer hissed.

Coulson's response to this was to abruptly stab another knife into his other hand as he screamed once again.

"I'm just getting started."

"Go to Hell!" Bullseye swore.

"You first." Coulson threatened as he clinched his fists.

Meanwhile outside.

"Good God what is going on in there?" Skye asked as she, Fitz and Simmons stood outside the interrogation room door.

Just then Ward and May arrived with looks of obvious confusion on their faces.

"Is that Coulson in there with him?" Ward asked.

"Yea." Simmons answered as Ward tried to walk up and open the door only to discover it was locked.

"What the Hell?" He said as more screams echoed from within the room that sounded like something our of a horror movie as the team looked at each other with grave expressions.

"Sir? Sir, is everything alright in there?" Ward asked, but got no answer.

A short time later the door to the room finally opened and Coulson stepped out…his hands were drenched in blood as his teammates looked on in horror.

"We know who hired him now, send some agents to pick up John Hargensen." Coulson stated very bluntly as he pulled a handkerchief out of his chest pocket to wipe the blood off his hands, "And send a clean up crew into the interrogation room to mop up."

He then proceeded to walk away, but Ward was hot on his heels.

"What the Hell just happened in there?" He asked.

"Nothing that you wouldn't have done." Coulson said as he kept walking without looking back at Ward.

"Yeah, but breaking people is one of the things I was actually trained to do. I've NEVER seen or heard of you going off on someone like that."

"Let it go."

"Just what is this emotional hold that Carrie White has over you that would cause you to act like this?"

Finally Coulson stopped as Ward did the same, the senior agent then turned around and looked at Ward.

"This isn't open for discussion." Coulson finally said before walking away, leaving Ward more perplexed than he already was before.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Sometime later in the same interrogation room, John Hargensen sat before agent Coulson where Bullseye had a few hours earlier.

"So…was it worth it?" Coulson asked him.

"What, to make that monster pay for what she did to my daughter, of course it was?"

"She wasn't the only one who died that night."

"I don't give a damn about anyone else."

"Interesting considering that you didn't seem to care about your daughter while she was still alive. According to those that know you, you seemed to regard her with shame more than anything else."

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love her."

"Did the thought ever occur to you that if she hadn't bothered Carrie White she would still be here, and none of this would have come to pass?"

"Don't you dare defend that freak! Not to me!"

"Is that what she is to you?"

"Of course, just as bad as those damn muties! They should all be executed!"

"You realize that by hiring an assassin to infiltrate a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in an attempt to kill someone in protective custody that you've committed a federal offense, right? Also, you're now indictable for the murders of the personnel Bullseye killed on the way in, as he was in your employ. You will spend the rest of your life in a federal prison."

Hargensen snorted with contempt at Coulson's threat as he leaned forward slightly.

"And do you really think that sitting in a prison cell will stop me? Stop me from making things happen out here. With my money and connections. I can assure that Carrie White will never be safe. After all, I found out where the supposedly top secret facility was where she was being kept didn't I?"

"Proud of that are you?"

"Money buys allot of things, especially secrets. And if need be…another assassin."

With that Coulson pulled a file out of the inside of his coat and threw it down in front of Hargensen on the table.

"And what is this?" He started to ask as he opened it up only to recoil in horror at a series of terrible and grisly pictures within.

"It's what's left of your attack dog, Bullseye," Coulson began as he then leaned over placing his hands upon the table as he got right in Hargensen's face, "I practically killed him with my bare hands, well, that isn't entirely true, the doctors say that part of his brain is still alive…sort of."

But just then Coulson took notice of something on the floor.

"Oh, what's this?" He said as he reached down, "Looks like the cleanup crew missed something." He finished as he tossed a tooth onto the table in front of Hargensen as he literally screamed.

"You're sick! Are you crazy? What is this?" Mr. Hargensen asked with revulsion.

"It's a promise…from me to you. If you ever threaten Carrie White again, there will be another set of photos just like this one…and you'll be the one in them. Do I make myself clear? The only reason that you're still alive, is because I can truthfully see why you did what you did. If I was a father, and someone threatened my daughter? More than likely, I would want whoever was responsible dead too. Even if said daughter was a psycho. So consider this your one…and only reprieve." Coulson finished as he then stabbed one of the knives he had used on Bullseye into the table in front of Hargensen…with Bullseye's blood still on it.

Hargensen's face went pale as he realized just how serious Coulson was and in that moment all of his bravado and bluster was gone.

Coulson then turned and walked out of the room, leaving Hargensen to carefully contemplate his future choices.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Carrie's room.

Coulson slowly entered Carrie's room after several knocking attempts brought no response. Her entered only to find no sign of her.

"Carrie?" He asked with honest confusion.

That was when he heard the whimpers coming from the closet.

Slowly he walked over and opened it to see Carrie huddled down on the floor shaking. He then slowly knelt down, he knew better than to ask if she was okay, because it would have been a really stupid question all things considered. So all he said very softly was…

"Hey."

"He-hey." She stuttered back.

"How's the neck wound?"

"Okay." She said reaching up and touching the edge of the bandage that now covered where Bullseye's pencil had stabbed her.

"Still feeling the effects of the toxin?"

"A little, I can't stand up too fast or move too fast yet."

"Just so you know, Bullseye will never hurt anyone ever again, not you or anyone else, I saw to that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Did he hurt you?" She asked as she started to reach out towards the cuts on his face.

"Nothing that won't heal, don't you worry about it." He told her as he gently grabbed her hand before she could touch him.

Several moments of silence followed after that, that Coulson eventually broke.

"I'm sorry Carrie."

"Sorry for what?"

"I promised you, you would be safe here, that no one would ever hurt you again. And I failed in keeping that promise."

"But you still saved me, didn't you?"

"You remember that?"

"Yes."

"I wasn't sure considering the effects of what Bullseye shot you up with just how coherent you were."

"I remember everything. But it was like watching a TV with really bad reception and sound, but yeah, I remember. Thank you."

"You're welcome.", He whispered.

After a few more seconds he spoke again.

"So uh, you got room for one more in there?" He asked, to which Carrie nodded.

Coulson then slid in next to her as she buried her face in his chest and proceeded to cry as he wrapped his arms around her. It was then that Coulson suddenly realized that he understood what Hargensen felt all too well. Because he realized just how much Carrie meant to him…and what he was capable of when someone threatened her. Was Ward right? Was he allowing his emotions to get the best of him? That was a question to be dealt with another time, for the moment all that mattered was making sure that Carrie was alright, and the hope that she could and would recover from this ordeal in the days to come.

"Thank you." She suddenly said.

"For what?" Coulson asked.

"For saving me."

"That's what we do." He answered as he rested his chin on her head.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's note: **For those who may be wondering, this was the version of Bullseye played by Colin Farrell in the 2003 Daredevil movie. I would have put this at the top of the chapter, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Thanks for reading.


	7. Spirit Of Vengeance

Chamberlain, Maine

King Brothers Cemetery.

Exact time and date unknown.

Outside the front of what was once the gravesite of Carrie White a figure wearing leather pants and a matching jacket rode up on a motorcycle. Though its driver appeared human…what dwelled with him was not.

Johnny Blaze looked upon the gravesite with an almost sad expression. Over time he had learned what had transpired in this town.

He had already been to the charred remnants of Ewan high school, as well as the former residence of the White family where now only a giant sinkhole remained and followed the trail of destruction etched by the crying souls of the ghosts of Carrie's victims…here.

"_You're too soft." _The demon within his mind chastised him.

"It's called sympathy, asshole." Blaze countered.

"_It's called weakness, and it shall not be tolerated."_

"Says you. We've had this talk before."

"_Yes, we have. I was right then and I am now as well."_

"That's a matter of opinion."

"_It is a statement of fact."_

"So what would you have us do, kill her?"

"_Yes."_

"She's just a kid."

"_She's a killer."_

"It wasn't her fault."

"_Is that so, then whose blood is on her hands?"_

"It's not that simple."

"_Simple enough."_

"We should leave her be, she's been through enough pain. Even I can sense that, I assume you can?"

"_That doesn't excuse her actions. Innocent blood has been spilled here and you cannot keep me contained any longer."_

"No, I won't let you!" Blaze said angrily as he felt the demon clawing its way out from within, but in the presence of such death and bloodshed the Ghost Rider could not be restrained. He hunched over upon his motorcycle as if in great pain as the transformation suddenly overtook him. The skin and flesh incinerated off of his body as his skull burst into flames. When it was finished, the man was no more…now only the spirit of vengeance remained. Likewise his motorcycle transformed with him as it exploded into flames and morphed beneath him.

The rider turned his flaming skull over towards where the girl had once lie but had clawed her way out.

He could sense it. She had killed them all and then her own mother. Her soul was stained with the blood of the innocent.

And the Ghost Rider would see her judged for her sins. He looked down at the cracked headstone that bore a message written in spray paint saying…

_Carrie White burns in Hell!_

"_Not yet…but soon." _The Ghost Rider thought.

Fire and brimstone erupted from the hellish hog as he took off upon his cycle at speeds pushing three hundred miles per hour as he followed her trail out of the state.

Vengeance would be served…he swore on that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Somewhere in the town of Rutland Vermont, not too far from the facility, Agent Coulson and Carrie White sat in the back of a S.H.I.E.L.D. car as it drove along.

"Should you be doing this? Won't you get in trouble?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it." He told her.

After several more moments of silence, Coulson decided to ask a question of his own.

"So what was the closet about? Was there a reason that you went in there?"

Carrie slowly looked over at him but said nothing. She seemed hesitant, but then realized that if she couldn't open up to Coulson…who could she?"

"When I lived at home…when I was bad…when I sinned. My mother would…put me in there."

"Is that why you put yourself in there, because you think you sinned?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It all started with me. If I hadn't done what I did at the prom, Chris Hargensen would still be alive, her father wouldn't have hired that assassin and the people at the facility would still be alive."

"You're wrong." Coulson said very sternly as she looked over at him, "It began with Chris Hargensen and her friends tormenting you. If you had been left alone, NONE of this would have happened."

"…perhaps." Carrie replied far less confidently.

Soon enough the car came to a stop, as Carrie stepped out she found herself standing outside the hallowed halls of a church. She looked up at a pair of massive wooden doors, her gaze eventually moving up to the steeple. She couldn't help but shudder slightly, it was as if it was looking down upon her with contempt, she felt almost blasphemous in its presence. But nonetheless, she overcame her fear and proceeded inside.

But before Coulson could follow her in one of the agents accompanying them stepped up to him.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure this is a wise course of action? What if she's spotted?"

"Which is why we're being discreet. It's not like we're waltzing down fifth ave. with a parade and marching band with a neon sign saying 'here's Carrie White'. Besides, after what she's been put through she needs this. Just relax, I'm sure she won't be long."

"Yes sir."

Once they had entered Phil stayed at the rear to give Carrie some measure of space and privacy as she walked up to the altar and knelt before it. She hadn't entered an actual church in many years. She remembered going all the time as a child with her mother, but Margaret began to take exception to some of the newer practices of the various chapels they had once frequented. Things like new age paganism, acceptance of homosexuals and attempts to combine creationism with evolution were all things that severely ruffled the feathers of Margaret's old testament values.

But that was then and this was now.

As such, Carrie began to speak in a hushed whisper.

"I know that I have sinned oh Lord, and am undeserving of your love or forgiveness. So I pray that you can forgive my selfishness by daring to ask it oh holy father."

But as she looked up from where she was kneeling she saw a horrifying sight. Nearby was a statue of Christ, which suddenly began to bleed from its forehead as she gazed upon it. Carrie was mortified. Was this God's answer to her prayer? Was he forsaking her, condemning her, damning her? It wasn't the first time she had seen this. She had seen the same thing happen in her old closet that her mother used to shove her into, but she never wanted to believe what she saw was real.

"_No, it can't be real, it mustn't be!" _She thought to herself.

"Carrie, what's wrong?" Coulson asked, but then he saw it too as he ventured closer.

With a face filed with fright she turned and fled from the holy place, now feeling that she no longer belonged in it or God's presence. But as she raced outside bursting through the doors of the church she quickly realized that her waking nightmare was far from over. It was then that a terrifying being with a flaming skull came riding up on an imposing demonic chopper also seemingly wreathed in flames as if it had rode out of Hell itself.

"Carrie, wait!" Coulson spoke following out behind her only to see the Ghost Rider approaching and heading strait for them.

"What in God's name?" Coulson muttered.

Indeed, at that moment Carrie herself was convinced that God had sent this terrible demon to punish her.

"All agents on standby I need immediate back up now!" Phil spoke into a receiver.

But it was already on the way as several S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles pulled up only seconds later. They had apparently been tracking Ghost Rider's movements for some time, and when they realized where he was heading they moved to intercept immediately.

The Ghost Rider finally came to a stop as the spirit of vengeance then looked in their direction and lifted his right glove hand towards Carrie.

"Guilty." He said in a chilling voice.

He then stepped off of the bike and started walking towards her as several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents took up position around him. Agent Coulson himself meanwhile stepped directly in front of Carrie facing the demon as it drew closer.

"Excuse me, can we help you?" Coulson asked in a rather casual fashion.

Eventually the rider was right in front of him, Coulson could feel the heat coming off of him, but didn't flinch in the least.

"Step aside." the rider demanded.

"Afraid I can't do that."

"She shall be punished."

"And why is that?"

"Ewan high school…her mother."

"I'm afraid you don't have the whole story."

"She still killed them. That's all that matters. She must be judged."

"Perhaps…but not by you."

"Your aura is pure, why protect one who is damned?"

"Because I choose to."

"She is a sinner."

"Aren't we all?"

"She's a mass murderer."

"And you're a hero, at least I thought you were. That's what our files on you tell us anyways. You fight evil and avenge the innocent."

"I am. Now once more…step aside…or else."

Coulson knew that if Ghost Rider managed to use the penance stare on Carrie it would be the end of her…he wasn't about to let that happen.

"No." Coulson said very simply.

The scene was a tense one. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had their guns drawn and leveled at Ghost Rider while he and Coulson engaged in an intense stare down.

"_So you're willing to kill S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to get to this girl?" _Johnny Blaze spoke inside of the Ghost Rider's mind.

"_Not if they step aside."_

"_And if they don't?"_

The standoff ended when Ghost Rider seemingly began to turn away…only to backhand Coulson out of his path as the agent flew a good twenty feet before hitting and rolling across the pavement.

"Phil!" Carrie screamed.

In that instant the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents opened fire, but bullets of course were useless against a being such as the Ghost Rider. He continued forward undaunted returning his attention to Carrie. But when his gaze met hers he saw unfathomable rage in her eyes. Ghost Rider had enough supernatural strength to have backhanded Coulson's head clean off his shoulders if he had wanted to. But his intention was never to seriously injure Coulson, just get him out of his way…but Carrie didn't know that.

"You hurt Phil…you hurt Phil! YOU HURT PHIL!" She bellowed as she unleashed an inhuman shriek that simultaneously culminated with a massive surge of telekinetic energy.

"_Oh crap." _Both the rider and Blaze said practically in unison.

The telekinetic punch was so powerful that it slammed into Ghost Rider like a freight train as he went flying through the air…he passed over several states before he crashed back down halfway across the country. Simultaneously a wave of energy reeled off of her that shattered glass and mowed over anyone that was still standing nearby that also covered at least a city block on all sides of her.

After this Carrie collapsed upon the ground unconscious.

Sometime later…

The Ghost Rider eventually recovered from the attack as he staggered out of the crater he had made when his body came down. Fortunately he came down in an open field and no one had been hurt. He reached out extending a bony hand as he used his supernatural power to summon his cycle from wherever it was as it heeded his command. But he had been weakened, weakened enough for Johnny Blaze to assume control again as he slowly but surely transformed back into his human alter ego.

"That child knocked me for a loop. Told you we should have left her be." He said.

"_Shut up." _The rider growled from within, _"Where are we?"_

"Looks like…about twenty miles outside of Denver Colorado. My God, she blew us that far away?"

"_Just a kid huh? You were saying?"_

"Okay, a kid with crazy strong telekinetic powers."

"_We must go back after her."_

"Without the bike? I'd say it won't be any time soon."

"_It shall be here in a matter of hours."_

"Then what, go back so we can get bitchslapped again?"

"_I was unprepared for the power that she wielded. I will not make that mistake a second time."_

"That's right, we won't. Because we're not going back."

"_She must be judged!"_

"Not today. I'd say after the hit you took you're going to be out of commission for a while. Besides which I haven't slept in almost forty-eight hours."

"_This is unacceptable."_

"Cry me a river…we're done. So do me a favor and shut up." Blaze said as he started walking down the road in search of a motel where he could crash for the time being.

Back at the facility…

Carrie eventually came to. Her eyes slowly fluttering open to see Coulson looking down at her within the confines of her room.

"Phil!" She exclaimed with relief as she lurched up only to immediately regret it as her head began to spin.

"Whoa, easy there sport. You just need to take it easy." Coulson warned her as she flopped back down onto the bed waiting for the room to stop spinning.

"Are you okay. I thought you were…"

"What? Dead? Can't have that. I don't think even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s insurance benefits cover more than two deaths in a three year period." He joked.

"So you're okay?"

"Yeah, just a minor concussion is all, and you?"

"I feel…funny."

"You've never used that much power before have you?"

Carrie simply nodded her head no.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue by the way, I guess that makes us even." Coulson smiled as Carrie smiled back.

Just then another S.H.I.E.L.D. operative stepped into the room as she cleared her throat. As such Coulson looked over his shoulder at her.

"You have something to report?"

"Yes sir. It's about Ghost Rider's motorcycle."

"What about it?"

"Though we succeeded in confiscating it after the altercation and loaded it onto the Globemaster for transport to 'the sandbox' , it…is no longer with us."

The sandbox was a desert based S.H.I.E.L.D compound used to house dangerous weapons and artifacts whose location was classified.

"Meaning what exactly? Explain." Coulson asked.

"Well, in mid transit it suddenly roared back to life, took off by itself, smashed out through the cargo bay doors, dropped thirty thousand feet and then sped off in the direction of where Ghost Rider came down as soon as it touched down."

"And Ghost Rider?"

"We dispatched a containment team to where he crashed down but he was already long gone sir."

"I see. Guess we can assume he survived then. Not sure if that's good or bad honestly."

"Will that be all sir?"

"Yes, you are dismissed."

Coulson then turned his attention back to Carrie, who had been listening in on the exchange.

"That thing is still alive?" She asked with some worry.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with. You just focus on getting some rest, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed as she slowly but surely closed her eyes and drifted off back to sleep.

After this Coulson quietly left the room. Outside another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent awaited him.

"Yes?"

"I have the field report from Rutland."

"And?"

"There were some injuries and property damage as a result of Carrie's telekinetic wave."

"I see." Coulson answered hanging his head.

"HQ is breathing down our necks and Director Fury is one his way here, he wants to speak with you."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

After Fury arrived he asked to see Coulson immediately, but Carrie was with him.

"This is supposed to be a private meeting, what's she doing here?" Fury asked none too pleased.

"She wanted to be here, I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She feels responsible."

"That's because she is!" Fury yelled, "But she ain't the only one." He finished as he got right in Coulson's face.

"Twelve minor injuries and two major, with both of those being our men along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in both property damage and lawsuits. Just why did I agree to having her here again?" Fury bellowed as he paced back and forth while Coulson stood ramrod strait and unmoving as the director had his say, "Is she really worth all this considering what could happen?"

"I know the risk that she poses. But we had a talk like this about Skye as well and she proved herself worth it."

"Skye isn't an unstable telekinetic capable of punching Ghost Rider halfway across the damn country!

"Please don't yell at Phil anymore." Carrie spoke up finally, "It was my fault. If I hadn't asked to go to the church none of this would have happened."

"Be that as it may, it was still HIS call." Fury said looking over at Coulson before looking back at Carrie, "He could've just as easily said no and he should have!" Fury exclaimed with special emphasis on the last three words.

"With all due respect sir, even if Carrie hadn't been at the church it is extremely likely that Ghost Rider would have come for her at the compound."

"Yes, but at least at the compound there wouldn't have been any witnesses aside from S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel. More so, it is standard S.H.I.E.L.D. policy that none of the metas are allowed outside the complex. I expect better from you Coulson, such a lapse in judgment isn't like you at all." Fury reprimanded him as he started to walk over to a chair, "First you wreck the Globemaster within a week and now this, what's next?" He complained as he proceeded to sit down.

But suddenly Carrie blinked slightly and one of the chair legs broke causing the Director to fall on his butt as Fury immediately looked up at her. Coulson glanced over at Carrie without turning his head.

"_Oh God." _He thought to himself, knowing full well that she was responsible, more to the point, so did Fury as he got back up.

"You thought that was funny did you?" Fury asked as he walked up to Carrie.

He then snapped his fingers as two other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stepped in.

"Escort Ms. White back to her room, now." He ordered as she reluctantly left with them.

Fury made sure they were out of earshot before he started speaking again.

"Thought you didn't like it when people called you by your first name."

"Some people, not all." Coulson explained as Fury walked over to the broken chair.

"I guess this means she doesn't like me. Is she gonna punch me into another time zone too?"

"No sir. She wouldn't do that."

"So what's going to happen the next time she loses her temper, do I even want to know? You know what I'm thinking without me having to say it. Have you considered that this girl can't be helped? That maybe a lobotomy would be the better course of action here?"

"It might be the better course…not the right one."

Fury took a moment to compose himself and calm down before stepping in close to Coulson as he proceeded to speak in a hushed whisper.

"Phil, me and you are the only two people that know the REAL reason that you're trying so hard to help this girl. And I have tried to be understanding. I've got the council hounding me day and night over this as it is, and situations like what happened in Rutland aren't helping matters any."

"I know sir, and I thank you for everything that you've done." Coulson responded as Fury turned and took a few steps away crossing his hands behind his back.

"Have you told her yet?" He asked with his back still to his subordinate.

"Not yet sir."

"So she doesn't know?"

"No."

"When will you?"

"Soon…I hope."

Fury let out a deep sigh before speaking again as he turned back around to face Coulson once more.

"I'll see what I can do to turn this around, but I can't promise anything. In the meantime, let's hope that me and you don't have to have this conversation again. If we do, more than likely it will be taken out of my hands. And if that happens I won't be able to help either one of you."

"I know sir. Again, I thank you."

With that Nick Fury nodded and then walked out.

A few minutes later Coulson caught up with Carrie as he knocked on her door.

"Hey." He said upon entering as she stood up to greet him.

"Hey, did I get you in more trouble? I didn't mean too. If I did I'm sorry, I just didn't like how he was talking to you."

"Well, let's just say I wouldn't advise stunts like that again in the future…even though it was kinda funny." Coulson admitted with a grin.

"He doesn't like me does he?" She asked with a look of worry.

"It's not that, he's just…concerned is all. And so are our superiors."

"About what I'll do next?"

"Yea."

"So what do you think?"

"I think we need to prove him wrong. Would you like to?"

"I would like to try."

"Then that's what we'll do."

"You said OUR superiors. I thought Fury ran everything."

"He is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. but he still answers to the World Security Council, who are responsible for funding S.H.I.E.L.D. He's more concerned about what they may do."

"So…is Fury a friend?"

"Yes. He's the one who okayed all of this in the first place despite the council's reservations to the contrary. He's been trying to help us since day one."

"I see, then when you see him again can you tell him that I'm sorry I made the chair break." She said rather sheepishly.

"You bet." Coulson reassured her.

In the meantime though Coulson couldn't help but think back to what had happened within the church, when he saw the statue of Christ bleed. Was it something to do with Carrie or was it somehow connected with Ghost Rider's arrival? At the moment even he wasn't entirely sure. But it gave him pause, a reason for concern. He could only hope that the answer would eventually reveal itself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's note: **I decided for this chapter to incorporate some things from the comics this time, that being the ability for the Ghost Rider and Jonny Blaze to converse with one another telepathically regardless of who was in control. I hope that no one minds.


	8. Anger Management

**Author's note:** Just wanted to give a shout out to 2wingo. This chapter was their idea and I would never have written it without their inspiration. Thanks. :)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Location: The facility.

Carrie was in the process of freshening up in the bathroom for a special trip, one that Coulson was about to take her on. As she stepped out there was a knock at her door.

"Carrie, it's me. May I come in?"

"Yes." She answered.

"I see your ready for your trip." He observed as he entered.

"Yes. Who is it we're going to meet again?"

"Two of the Avengers actually, Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man, and Dr. Bruce Banner a.k.a. the Hulk."

"How are they going to help me?"

"It's tech related. They'll explain everything when we see them. Shall we go?"

"I'm ready." She said as they walked out of the room together.

"So Carrie, have you ever been to New York?"

"No."

"So I'm guessing you've never had New York style pizza then?"

"No. Is it good?"

"Divine, or perhaps considering how unhealthy it is sinful might be a better choice of words."

With that Carrie cracked a slight smile.

"_Finally." _Coulson thought.

It was the first time he'd seen her smile since the Bullseye incident. She was proving herself to be amazingly resilient. Of course considering the kind of life she'd had, she would have to be allot tougher than she looked.

But just then…

"Agent Coulson sir?" Another agent called after him just as he and Carrie were about to get into Lola.

"Yes?"

"A priority one communiqué from headquarters sir. It's Agent Maria Hill."

"I'll be right there."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"We need you in Rolicsca for diplomatic reasons."

"But HQ just ordered me to transport Carrie White to Stark Tower in New York." Coulson said understandably confused.

"They've rescinded that order. A different agent will be taking her."

"Well, can't it just wait until I get back?"

"No, they want both situations resolved within twenty-four hours. There's also the issue of security. With the exception of Barton and Romanov, no other Avengers members know that you are still alive. For the time being we would like to keep it that way."

"I see, who's taking her then?"

"Agent Ward has been assigned the task."

"What? With respect ma'am I would like to recommend that a different agent be assigned."

"Why, he's the best field man you have is he not?"

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"There are…issues. Issues that make him a poor choice for this one particular endeavor."

Agent Hill exhaled deeply before saying what she was about to say next.

"Coulson let me make it perfectly clear to you that neither the security council nor S.H.I.E.L.D. cares about whatever little soap opera you've got going on between the three of you. Ward has already been told the same and will follow orders regardless of his personal feelings towards the subject. The question is…can you?"

"Yes ma'am." He finally replied after a pause.

"Good. Agent Hill, over and out." She finished as she terminated the communiqué.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"But I don't want to go with Ward, I want to go with you." Carrie protested as she learned the news.

"I know, I wish it could be that way, but I can't disobey a direct order. Besides Ward is a good agent, he'll make sure nothing happens to you."

"I don't like him. I don't like the way he looks at me."

"He's just cautious is all."

In truth Coulson resented the idea even more than Carrie did, but he had to convince her to go along with it or there was no telling what HQ might do. It was then that Carrie gave voice to precisely what Coulson was thinking.

"I'm not allowed to say no…am I?"

"I'm afraid not."

"It's not fair."

"I know, but try to get through this…for me. Please?"

"Okay." She sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carrie found herself reluctantly getting into the passenger seat of a car next to Agent Ward, she refused to make eye contact with him, which was fine with him. The car ride was long, quiet and uneventful. Carrie finally found herself distracted from her unpleasant company when they reached downtown New York. She marveled at the towering skyscrapers and the various other sights and sounds of the big apple as they drove along. Soon enough, they reached Stark Tower.

They were greeted by Pepper Potts when they first entered.

"Good morning. I assume you're with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"My name is Agent Ward."

"And this must be Carrie White. Do you mind if I call you Carrie?"

"No." Carrie said shyly.

"My name is Pepper Potts. Now if you'll both follow me the boys are currently on one of the several R&D floors."

"R&…D?" Carrie said.

"Research and development." Pepper told her.

When they finally reached them they were in the midst of working on some ungodly looking contraption that looked like something out of the movie Frankenstein and seemingly engaging in some playful banter.

"What do you mean you think the Hulk would look better in red?" Bruce asked.

"Don't tell me you haven't considered it." Tony claimed.

"Hey guys?" Pepper tried to interject.

"I actually haven't." Bruce said honestly.

"Okay how about blue? Then we could call him the Incredible Smurf, or better yet purple like those one smurfs that yelled 'gnap!' and wanted to bite everyone on the ass." Tony laughed.

"Tony?" Pepper tried once more.

"Wow, that's a visual that I didn't even need." Bruce replied.

"Oh c'mon you know it would be awesome."

"You've had entirely too much time on your hands to think about this haven't you?" Bruce laughed back.

"Bruce?" Pepper tried yet again.

"Okay I'm flipping the switch." Tony said.

"No wait it's not rea-" Bruce started to say as suddenly part of the contraption exploded and a random laser beam shot up through several floors of the building and through the roof of Stark tower.

"What was that? What just happened?" Pepper asked in disbelief as her, Carrie and Ward backed up a few steps..

"I told you it wasn't ready." Bruce told Tony.

"I thought you stabilized the quantum singularity?"

"It wasn't stable yet, I was in the process of stabilizing it, you didn't give me a chance to finish."

"BOYS!" She finally ended up shouting getting their attention at last.

"Oh hi." Tony said nonchalantly seemingly just now realizing they were there.

"Hello Miss Potts." Bruce said politely with a smile.

"Hello Bruce, and how many times have I asked you to call me Pepper?"

"I promise I'll start any day now." The gamma scientist nodded.

"Tony, what you doing here?"

"Nothing."

"This isn't nothing. Did I hear you say Quantum singularity? Isn't that like a black hole or something?"

"Maybe? Wait how did you even know what that is?"

"I watch TV Tony and why are you opening a black hole in the middle of New York?"

"Seriously that's your comeback, you watch TV? What was it Star Trek?"

"Maybe, and you didn't answer my question."

"It's just a harmless experiment."

"Harmless experiment?"

"Yeah."

"Bruce?" Pepper asked.

"No wait don't ask him." Tony tried to interrupt.

"Bruce, is this a harmless experiment?"

"Uh…sorta."

"What do you mean sorta?" Pepper asked.

"Oh c'mon man. You are like George Washington you cannot tell a lie can you?" Tony interrupted.

"No I can't, sorry." Bruce responded.

"What are the two of you doing playing with a black hole in the middle of New York City?" Pepper asked in a very disapproving tone.

"Oh, you see now she's mad, this is why you should've lied." Tony complained turning back to Bruce again.

"What? I couldn't come up with anything. I'm not like you I can't pull this stuff out the air like you do." Bruce said.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO HERE?" Pepper shouted at last silencing both of them for a moment.

Neither of them spoke right away, and there was a genuine hesitance on their part that Pepper didn't like.

"Well?" She asked emphatically.

"You tell her, I ain't telling her." Bruce said turning to Tony.

"No way I've already been yelled at once today it's your turn." Tony shot back.

"I'm waiting!" She shouted.

"Well, we're uh…" Bruce started to say.

"Trying to cure the age old dilemma of…" Tony added.

"Yes?" Pepper spoke.

Bruce mumbled something very low that Pepper couldn't hear as he hung his head seemingly unwilling to say what he had to say very loudly if he could help it.

"What, I couldn't hear you." Pepper told him.

"You know how when you do laundry you always end up losing a sock? I mean you know you had all of the pairs when you first threw them in but afterward you're always one shy." Tony finally said.

"We have a theory that they end up in some sort of odd pocket dimension of some kind." Bruce added.

"So we're trying to find it." Tony finished.

Pepper stood dumbfounded for a few moments, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"What!" she said once again in total disbelief as Tony turned away from Pepper and placed his hand on his shoulder as they both began to break down into laughter, "I thought you guys were working on something important! Something to do with creating nannites that could attack and destroy terminal diseases!"

"Oh yeah, we did that already." Bruce said.

"Yeah we had that knocked out in twenty minutes." Tony chimed in.

"So you've been spending the last three days blowing stuff up in the lab and shaking the entire building trying to open pocket dimensions?"

"Uh…yeah?" Tony said.

"It's allot harder than it looks." Bruce tried to defend.

"I can't believe you two! You couldn't find something else to do?" Pepper complained.

"It was either this or try to find a cure for ice cream headaches." Bruce said.

"Yeah, we had down time so we decided to use it, sue us." Tony explained.

"If that laser beam or whatever it was that you guys shot through the roof managed to wing a plane overhead then we might be getting sued by United Airlines."

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time." Tony said dismissively.

"You were sued by United Airlines? What for?" Bruce questioned.

"There was an incident involving me and a stewardess, actually several stewardesses in the cockpit of a Boeing seven forty-seven a few years back. We climbed in and-"

"No! No, he does not need to hear this story! *I* do not want to hear this story!" Pepper commanded defiantly.

Meanwhile Carrie was trying very hard not to laugh at their antics while a none too pleased looking Ward proceeded to rub his head as if trying to avert the onset of a potential migraine. He had a hard time believing that these were two of Earth's mightiest heroes.

Pepper then turned to Carrie and Ward.

"This is what I deal with on an almost daily basis, and nightly, I swear these two never sleep. It's worse than babysitting I swear. I need to sit down." She said as she walked over to a stool and sat upon it.

"We're sorry." Tony said as both he and Bruce immediately began tending to her.

"I….I need my pills." she said as Bruce quickly ran to get them and rushed back.

"I take these because of you two, you know that right?" she chastised them as they both knelt down on either side of her attempting to butter her up.

"We know, and we're sorry, right Tony?"

"Just think how boring your life would be without us." Tony tried to tell her.

"I'd like to find out sometime I think." she quickly jabbed.

"Oh. c'mon you know you love us." Tony shot back as she finally started to laugh herself.

"Okay, now that all of that is out of the way, your eleven o' clock is here." she finally said as she gestured towards Carrie and Ward, "This is Carrie White and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Ward."

"Ah yes, the telekinetic. I've got what you need right over here." Bruce said as he gestured for her to follow him over to a rather cluttered worktable.

He then reached down and picked up something that looked kinda like a hearing aid, but was something else altogether.

"What is it?" She asked with a confused look.

Tony proceeded to harass Ward while Bruce started to explain the device to Carrie.

"You S.H.I.E.L.D. guys never smile do you? What? Afraid your face will break?" Tony jibbed.

"Just here to do a job…not make pointless jokes." Ward growled.

"Uh oh, sounds like someone needs their binky. Agent Ward did you lose your binky?" Tony continued prodding as Pepper silently watched the exchange.

"Listen up Stark. Coulson may have put up with your crap but I'm telling you strait up that I won't."

"At least he had a sense of humor, you could've learned something from him if you ever met him." Tony countered.

It was then that Ward suddenly remembered that the only Avenger members that were aware that Coulson wasn't dead were Romanov and Barton seeing how they themselves were S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents with level eight clearance.

"Whatever. I'll be waiting in the lobby, just send her down when you're done." Ward said as he proceeded to turn and walk away.

"Oh wait, there it is. There's his binky. It's in his ass along with a stick and apparently his own head. How do you manage to walk strait?" Tony continued joking as Ward stopped for a brief moment, let out an aggravated huff and then kept on going.

As for Bruce and Carrie…

"Well, you see, when the amygdala of your limbic system generates anger emotions this specialized receiver picks up on it and releases a polarizing counter wave that interferes with and dampens brave wave patterns emitted by your cerebral cortex preventing-"

Bruce stopped in mid sentence as he realized he had totally lost her as she looked at him blankly.

"Sorry, I tend to get carried away at times. In layman's terms, when you get angry , this device will sense it and stop you from using your powers."

"I won't have my powers?"

"Only when you're angry. That way you don't, you don't…"

"Don't do what I did at my prom…again." She finished for him rather forlornly.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay." She cut him off."

"For what it's worth, I understand I really do."

"Why? Do you have a terrible power hiding inside of you that you're afraid you'll lose control of? Unless you do I'm not so sure that you can."

Bruce allowed himself a slight chuckle.

"You'd be surprised." He told her.

"So you made this just for me?"

"Uh, no actually, it was supposed to be for me."

"Why? Does something bad happen when you get angry?" Carrie asked obliviously.

"Nope, something awesome." Tony said suddenly bringing up a holovid of the Hulk at his rampagey best.

"Is that you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah…on a bad day."

"But I was told that you were one of the Avengers, that you helped save New York." Carrie said.

"Yea, about that. Hulking out to fight off government experiments gone wrong or an alien invasion trying to destroy the world, good. Hulking out while standing in line at the supermarket or being stuck in a traffic jam, bad. Get what I'm saying?"

Carrie took a moment to absorb that before going on.

"So if it didn't work for you why do you think it would work for me?"

"My case is unique, there are variables involved that you don't have to worry about. Of course having said that we'll…have to test it."

xxxxxxxxxx

"So, how are things going there?" Coulson asked over the phone.

"Alright, I wish you were here though."

"I know, don't worry, I'll see you again soon enough. So what do you think of Stark Tower?"

"Well, I don't even pretend to understand any of the tech stuff that's going on here, but it looks amazing anyway."

"I assume Stark has done plenty of showing off?"

"Yeah, he showed me his geniusphone."

"Don't you mean smartphone?"

"That's what I thought too. But he said that a smartphone is only as smart as the person using it and sense he has an I.Q. of two hundred and sixtyseven, he gets to call his a genius phone."

"Classic Stark." Coulson said smiling on the other end, "So how is Ward treating you, or should I ask?"

"Actually we haven't said a word to each other and he's waiting in the lobby right now."

"Good."

"I'm getting ready to try out that thing out that will help mw with my powers."

"Are you nervous?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be just fine."

"Okay, well, I gotta go. They're waiting for me."

"Okay, good luck, call me afterward alright?"

"Okay. Bye."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Soon after Pepper led Carrie into a room where she sat down in a chair while a couple of electrodes were attached to her head by Bruce. He then fitted the control device into her ear.

"Is, is this going to hurt?" She asked worriedly.

"Not at all." Bruce assured her as he placed one of his hands on hers, "Now we are going to be right in there." He went on pointing at a panoramic window where miscellaneous controls were.

"Are you going in there so that I won't…hurt you?"

"It's just a precaution honey." Bruce told her as he and Pepper walked into said room where Tony was already waiting as he switched various machines on.

Once they were inside Bruce clicked on a speakerphone that allowed two way communication.

"Testing, testing, one two, one two three. Carrie, can you hear me?"

She merely nodded in response.

"Okay, now honey, I know you're not going to like this, but you're going to have to think about something that will make you angry in order for this to work, okay?"

Again she nodded.

"Okay, go ahead whenever you're ready." He informed her.

Though she was nervous, she knew that the only way to know if the mechanism would work properly was to do as she had been asked. Thusly she went back into her memories. Memories full of pain and sorrow. Dating back to her earliest childhood and leading up to…the prom. She remembered how she felt when she turned around and saw Tommy lying there, the blood from the wound in his head flowing and mixing seamlessly with the pig's blood that covered the floor. She remembered how she felt when she turned and saw them laughing, even after Tommy had fallen.

_They didn't even care. Did they hate me so much that killing Tommy in the process of humiliating me was acceptable to them. Tommy, one of the only genuinely good and decent people I had ever met in my life at that time? And they call 'ME' murderer!_

"Whoa, we got something." Tony said as various readouts in their room began to go berserk.

"Yes, we have a response from the amygdala and now…we have cortex reaction."

"Device is activating, all functions appear nominal." Tony added.

"Carrie? Carrie are you doing alright?" Bruce asked, but she didn't respond.

"Is that supposed to do that?" Pepper asked as she pointed at one of the readout machines as it literally vomited ridiculous amounts of paper onto the floor.

"Wow, these signals are off the charts, but the device appears to be countering it." Bruce said, "No sign of any telekinetic activity."

"Hold that thought." Tony quickly said as he grabbed Bruce's shoulder and pointed at a coffee mug on a table in the room with her. It appeared to be vibrating.

The look on Carrie's face was beyond maddening, as her anger reached its apex the cup on the table suddenly flopped over and spilled its contents. It then fell onto the floor shattering, which seemed to snap her back to reality.

"Looks like she gave us all that she's got." Bruce said.

Once she had calmed back down Bruce asked her to move part of the cup that had broken back up onto the table. She did so with ease, with the device still running the entire time.

Pepper was the first to go back into the room with her as Bruce and Tony powered down the equipment.

"Carrie, are you okay?" She asked as she gently removed the electrodes from her head.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Bruce and Tony came in shortly after.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's amazing, this whole room should be in pieces right now." Carrie told him.

"And this time all you did was knock over a cup. I'd say all we have to do is boost the amplitude slightly on the device and you're good to go." Tony spoke.

"Really, that's it?"

"That's it." Bruce added.

"I, I don't know what to say, other than thank you."

"You don't have to thank us. It was our pleasure." Pepper told her.

"So, does this thing run on batteries or something? Do I have to worry about it breaking?"

"No to both. It runs on a special microprocessor encased in a polycarbonate plastic shell." Tony explained.

"I guess you're ready to go if you want to?" Bruce asked.

"But there's no rush of course." Pepper added.

"Thank you all for being so nice to me, especially considering some of the things that I've…done." She admitted gravely.

"What matters is that you're trying to atone for it." Bruce told her.

"I feel like no matter what I do, I'll never be able to truly make up for it. Sins from the past."

"Maybe, but what matters is that you never stop trying…take it from someone who knows." Tony pointed out.

"I will, thank you….for everything." Carrie declared with much gratitude.


	9. Reckoning

**Author's note: **Just wanted to let readers know that I'm introducing a third movie crossover element for this one chapter. But don't worry, it's merely a reference, but I'm not saying what it is because I want to see how many readers catch it if any. It's a story that is told to Carrie. Anyone that doesn't realize what it is just feel free to ask me about it in your review or PM me. Thanks for your time.

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As Ward and Carrie started back for the meta facility, she was lost in her own thoughts. For her this was so unreal, the idea of not having to reign her emotions in so tightly. And not having to worry about losing control. Granted this was merely a stepping stone, in her quest to regain her life but it was a good one in her opinion.

But it seemed that Ward wasn't about to let her bask in the achievement.

"So, you get yourself a fancy hearing aid and everything is just hunky dory. Like nothing ever happened." He suddenly said breaking what had been up until that point in their trip absolute silence.

Carrie tried her best to ignore him and say nothing in return.

"Gee, I guess the next time I feel like wiping out a high school or college I'll just tell S.H.I.E.L.D. that I have special powers and that my mommy didn't love me so that I can just walk away scott free." He prodded further.

Still she ignored him.

"Do you even care about the lives that you took? Do their faces ever haunt you? Do they wake you up at night?"

Carrie continued to ignore him.

"Let me tell you a little story. About a kid around your age out of Seattle Washington just last year. His name was Andrew Detmer. He was unpopular at school, got bullied and picked on, Father was an abusive drunk. Then one day, he and two of his friends discovered something strange underground in a cave, alien tech perhaps, to this day even we're still not really sure.

Anyways, after being exposed to some kind of energy or radiation from it, all three of them apparently began to develop powers and abilities. Flight, enhanced strength…'telekinesis'." He seemed to emphasize as he looked over at Carrie, who finally shot him a glance but still remained silent, "For them it was all harmless fun at first. Experimenting, learning what they could do, playing practical jokes on unsuspecting people. But then one of them went too far, Andrew to be exact. He grew more powerful than the others, started to develop a God complex, thought that because of what he could do that he could do whatever he wanted.

Before it was all said and done. He ended up killing one of his friends who had the powers, tried to kill his abusive father and nearly destroyed an entire city while killing hundreds in the process before his oldest and closest friend Matt used his own powers to finally kill him and stop his rampage once and for all. By the time we got there it was all over and it was left to us to clean up the aftermath. We managed to piece together the story of what had happened from the beginning through the videos that were on Andrew's home computer.

So the obvious question I have is this…who are you? Are you a Matt? Or are you an Andrew? See I think we already know the answer to that question. Matt never used his powers to hurt anyone and stopped Andrew from hurting and killing innocent people. Can you say the same? You see that's why I think all of this is a colossal waste of time. The way that I see it, we're just delaying the inevitable and deep down, even of you don't want to admit it to yourself…I think you know it too. You've never used your powers to help anyone but yourself and did terrible things with them, and YOU know that's the truth." He finished.

At that moment Carrie glared at him almost hatefully. She had the overpowering urge to yank the control device from her ear and cut loose on him. But she stopped a moment to think.

"_No, I refuse to prove you right. I will not give you that satisfaction. I WILL prove you wrong." _She thought to herself.

But just then Ward caught something out of the corner of his eye as they were driving along. He saw what looked to be three individuals pile out of a parked van all wearing ski masks. They then rushed into a bank right in front of them. He knew immediately what he was seeing as he suddenly whipped the car over not too far away and threw it into park. He then dug into a small carrying case that was also strapped to his gun belt that contained many different standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D. field equipment items. When he found what he was looking for he looked up at Carrie.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Stay here and don't move, understand?" He told her as he checked to make sure his sidearm was fully loaded and ready as he jumped out the car and started towards the bank.

As he crept up he pulled out the device he had chosen. A small odd looking contraption that he placed in his ear as he then held his head up to the wall of the bank close to the front doors. The device in question was a super sound amplifier. With it he could hear everything transpiring inside as if he were standing in there with them. Through it he sized up the situation.

"Everybody on the ground now!" One of the thugs shouted as various people screamed.

"_Yep, bank robbery." _Ward thought.

As he listened closer he could hear heavy breathing that was very close. He moved along until he was right on top of it. He was right next to the main entrance of the bank.

"_One of them was right at the front door, probably as a lookout." _Ward contemplated.

Quickly he rushed back to the car.

"Do you have a compact?" He asked Carrie.

"What? Uh, yea, why?"

"Give it to me now."

"What, what for?"

"Just do it!" He grumbled urgently as she pulled it our of her pocket and handed it to him, after which he bolted back up next to the front doors of the bank.

He then slowly, cautiously and carefully opened it up and slid it across the pavement in front of the doors, angling it just right to see exactly where the robber standing guard was at. Finally he spotted him and thankfully he hadn't seen what Ward was doing. The thug in question kept looking back and forth between the outside and what his cohorts were doing. Ward could tell by his body language that he was nervous and unfocused.

"_Perfect." _Ward thought as he watched his head movements very closely waiting for one of the times that the lookout's head was turned away from the doors.

Suddenly there was a scream from someone inside causing the lookout to not only turn his head but turn fully around away from the doors.

That was when Ward pounced.

He was already through the front doors and on top of the crook before he even knew what hit him as he landed an uppercut kick to his jaw that put him down and out. One of the others started to turn at the sounds of the scuffle when Ward pulled his gun and downed him before he could even raise his weapon.

"Freeze!" Ward shouted as the third spun around aiming his gun at him.

"I don't have to." The criminal said.

It was then that Ward suddenly felt the barrel of another gun touching the back of his head.

"_A fourth gunman? But there were only three.", _But then he sussed it out in his head, _"An inside contact. Someone who probably knew the best time to hit the bank." _He realized.

Ward knew a half a dozen different techniques that he COULD use at this moment to spin around and disarm the man behind him, but it would leave him wide open for the other gunman across the room, as good as he was, he couldn't dodge bullets.

"Drop it hero." The fourth man demanded as Ward did as ordered, " What do I do with him?" He asked his partner in crime.

"Scrub him out."

But just as he prepared to pull the trigger the gun suddenly flew out of his hand.

"What the He-yeaaaahhhhh!" The gunman shouted as he suddenly went flying through the air as well slamming into a far wall knocking him out cold.

The final perp, understandably confused by what he had just witnessed was distracted just long enough for Ward to scoop his gun back up and put a round right between his eyes as he dropped to the floor. Ward then looked back at the front doors to see Carrie standing right outside.

"_Did she just save my life?" _Ward thought to himself in disbelief.

Later, back at the facility…

In Carrie's room, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"It's uh, Agent Ward, can I come in?"

"…yes." She finally said as he entered.

After several tense moments of silence, Ward finally spoke.

"I just wanted to drop by too say thanks…for saving my life. What you did was very brave."

Carrie simply nodded in response.

"I guess I had a few things figured wrong about you. And whatever you may think of me I'll have you know that I am a man that admits his mistakes."

A few moments later Ward started to turn to leave when…

"Do you still hate me?" She suddenly asked as Ward froze in his tracks, "Because of what I did…at the prom?"

Slowly he turned to face her again at last.

"I don't hate you Carrie, I never have. Emotion of any kind has never had anything to do with it. It's because you are a risk, and to answer your second question yes, it is because of your prom."

"You weren't there."

"No I wasn't, but I read all about it, I know what happened there."

"They killed Tommy."

"No, Chris Hargensen and Billy Nolan killed Tommy Ross. If your rage had stopped with killing only them maybe I could look at this a different way. But they weren't the only ones who felt your wrath. Did you ever stop to consider that not every single person at the prom that night was in on the joke they played? That there might have been a few of them that were there for the same reason that you were, to just have a good time?"

Carrie hung her head somewhat shamefully, it gave Ward his answer.

"Listen, I didn't come here to give you a hard time, I came here because you proved me wrong today. Because you proved you were capable of something more. Does that undo your past? No. But…it is a step in the right direction." He admitted.

Carrie then looked up at Ward, as if she couldn't believe what he had just said. Ward then began to say something that she did not expect.

"And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds-"

"-He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him," Carrie finished for him as she cocked her head in surprise.

It was a quote from the bible, Colossians 1:20-22 to be exact.

"What? I went to Sunday School as a boy." He told her with a half smirk as he turned to leave.

But just then Carrie spoke up once again.

"They do." She suddenly said as Ward stopped and looked back at her, momentarily confused.

"What?"

"Back in New York, you asked me if the faces of my victims ever awakened me at night? They do. The last nightmare that I had demolished everything in this room. Stuff had to be replaced."

"That's good."

"Why?"

"Because it means that you do have a conscience after all. Something I wasn't sure you had at first. But you proved me wrong again. What I say may not mean much to you considering some of the things that I have said to you in the past, but for what it is worth…I am sorry."

With that Carrie simply nodded as Ward finally departed.

But when he stepped outside he suddenly found Coulson leaning up against the wall next to the door.

"Is there a problem sir?" Ward asked.

"No…not anymore." Coulson said with a hopeful expression as Ward paused for a moment, "Good job with the bank robbery by the way."

"Well, I think we both know that someone else came to the rescue today besides just me."

"So…do you still think she's a killer?"

"Yes…but I do believe she can atone for what she's done now." Ward admitted, "You were right, it is…complicated." He finished before walking on.

Coulson then entered Carrie's room.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good I guess."

"I have something for you." He said as he reached out and handed her a pill bottle.

"What's this?"

"A dream suppressant called Hypnocil. It should take care of those nasty nightmares you've been having…and the repair bills," He finished as they both smiled.

"Thank you."

"Today was a big day for you. An important stepping stone."

"I…I didn't do anything."

"Oh you didn't, so that was someone else with telekinetic powers that saved those people then?"

"Ward did most of it."

"Yea, but if not for you he would be dead right now, the bank would have been robbed, the robbers would have gotten away and several more innocent people could have and probably would have been hurt and or killed in the process."

"I, I guess I didn't think of it like that."

"I'm proud of you, I want you to know that."

Carrie couldn't help but blush slightly, she wasn't used to hearing praise or approval of her actions, especially considering her upbringing. She didn't really know how to react to it, but she did know one thing…it felt good to hear it.

"Th-thank you." She finally muttered with watery eyes as Coulson placed a hand upon her shoulder.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Later, in Ward's room onboard the Globemaster.

Though Ward no longer had an axe to grind against Carrie, his own natural curiosity as an agent was getting the better of him. What was it about this girl that would make Coulson act the way that he had and put his very career and life on the line? He was determined to find out as he picked up his encrypted line S.H.I.E.L.D. phone with a direct link to HQ.

"This is Agent Ward, clearance code beta Charlie niner six, one six."

"Clearance code confirmed and accepted. Good afternoon Agent Ward. How may we assist you?" A female voice spoke from the other end.

"I need access to a special subject file."

"Which subject sir?"

"Carrie White."

"One moment please."

There was a momentary pause on the other end of the phone as the records agent proceeded to look up the file while Ward waited patiently.

"Hmmm, interesting."

"What?"

"Well, sir, it appears that you do not have access to this file, it's classified."

"What? But that's impossible, I have level eight clearance."

"It's not a question of clearance sir. There are only two members of S.H.I.E.L.D. that have access to the file."

"Really, and which two are those, or is that classified as well?"

"No sir. Director Fury and Agent Coulson."

"_What? Fury's in on it too?" _Ward thought to himself.

"By whose order?" Ward went on.

"Agent Coulson with special permission granted by Director Fury."

"I don't suppose you could tell me why could you?"

"I'm afraid that is also classified sir."

"I see."

"I am sorry sir. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"No, thank you. That will be all." Ward said as he hung up.

He then bent over placing his hands upon his desk as he hung his head in thought.

"_What is it that you're hiding Coulson?"_


	10. Of Gods And Monsters

**Author's note: **Okay folks this chapter is supposed to take place right after the events of the recent Marvel film Thor: The Dark World and takes place at the same time as the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode # 8 'The Well'. So if you haven't seen either one prepare to be potentially confused. LOL

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Location: The facility.

It had been several weeks since Carrie had been incorporated into the program and she was slowly but surely starting to come out of her shell. Nothing crazy or extravagant by any means, but she was now consciously choosing to interact with the facility's instructors and cooperating. Granted it had only been because of Coulson's urging. She'd been experimenting all day by using her powers in a variety of ways. Seeing if she could do things small and focused like flipping a light switch to acts more complicated like levitating water out of a cup without moving the cup itself and various other tests.

Currently Carrie was with one of the instructors in the warehouse that sat above the facility, standing in front of a red Honda Civic.

"Why am I doing this again?" Carrie asked.

"To see just how strong your powers are my dear."

"I already know that I can lift a car."

"You did that under extreme emotional duress. What I want to see is if you can do it when you are calm and under control of yourself. Now, shall we begin?"

"What if I do something to the car?"

"Oh, it's alright, its driver is a former acquaintance of mine that owes me money and used to date me before I found out he was cheating on me with Sara from accounting. So either way it's all good." The instructor said with a wicked smile, in turn Carrie managed to crack one of her own.

With that she outstretched her hand and focused upon the car sitting before her. Immediately it began to shake where it was and eventually one end of it lifted off the pavement. Soon enough the other end came up as well, but it was obvious that Carrie was straining.

"Don't push yourself too hard sweetie, just do what comes naturally." The instructor told her.

Then suddenly the windshield cracked and all four tires deflated, her concentration broke as the car dropped back down bouncing slightly upon its tires when it hit the concrete.

Carrie quickly drew her hands back into her own chest with a sort of 'uh oh' look upon her face as she looked over at the instructor, but the instructor looked very pleased.

"Well, you managed to lift the car and damage it all at the same time. I'd say you passed with flying colors." The instructor spoke with another grin.

Meanwhile though Carrie was suddenly hit with a dizzy spell and had to sit down as she knelt down on the asphalt.

"I…I don't understand." Carrie said honestly.

"Oh it's quite simple dearie. Though you have what can be considered a usual level of telekinetic power at your disposal, only intense emotional states enable you to exceed your normal limits."

"Like the prom, like Ghost Rider…like what happened with my…mom." Carrie said as her expression changed from confusion to remorse.

"Uh…yeah. Listen I…I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, I-"

"It's okay. It's fine." Carrie cut her off, trying to pretend that it didn't bother her nearly as much as it actually did.

After a few moments of awkward silence Carrie spoke again.

"So what does that mean? That I can only do bigger things with I'm…like that?" She said, referring to her…less than desirable state of mind she displayed at the prom.

"Maybe. Or maybe we just need to find a different emotional trigger to enable you to access your full power."

"What kind of trigger?"

"Well, hopefully…a good one. A real reason to use your powers aside from simply being angry."

Just then Coulson walked up to them.

"So how is she doing?" He asked.

"Just fine sir."

"Well I think you've earned yourself a break. We're going to take a trip."

"We are?" Carrie asked with surprise.

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Soon enough Coulson was sitting in the driver's seat of his prized car Lola with Carrie at his side as they drove down U.S. highway route seven.

"Where are we going?" She asked for the umpteenth time.

"I told you before, don't wanna spoil the surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

"You'll like this one. I'm taking you someplace very special."

But just then, Coulson's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Coulson, this is Hill. We need you in London asap."

"What for?"

"Apparently Thor just had a smack down with someone there."

"Who?"

"We're not sure as of yet, that's why we need you and your team to go in and debrief anyone and everyone connected to the event and perform damage control."

"That could be a problem, I'm currently in mid transit to North Salem, New York."

"We know, that's why we sent the Globemaster to intercept you. It should be over your position now." She told him as Coulson looked up to see it beginning to descend from high above.

"Well, that's all well and good, but I have Carrie White with me, she still has to be taken back to the facility." Coulson explained.

"No can do, time is of the essence, she'll have to tag along for the ride."

"Understood." Coulson said hanging up as the deafening roar of the plane boomed above them as it hovered down at last.

The Globemaster's cargo bay doors then slowly opened up before them.

"Are we supposed to go in there?" Carrie shouted over the roar of the plane's engines.

"Yep!" Coulson shouted back.

"Is it going to land?"

"Nope!"

"Then how are we going to get in there?"

Coulson just smiled as he reached down on the dash and flipped a switch as Lola's tires began to turn until the sides were facing down as built in hover jets activated. Carrie's expression went from confusion to a mixture of fear and wonder as they lifted up off the road and into the back of the plane as the cargo doors closed behind them.

Once they landed Carrie slowly looked over at Coulson with her eyes wide and her jaw agape.

"Sorry, guess I shoulda warned you."

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In short order Carrie found herself onboard the Globemaster as she took in the grandeur of the interior.

"Welcome onboard the Globemaster." Skye told her.

"Thank you." Carrie replied.

"Since we didn't have time to prep a temp room for you you'll be bunking with me, I hope that's alright?" Skye asked.

"Yeah, sure, but there's only one bed, where will you sleep?" Carrie responded.

"I'm good with the couch in the lounge, it's all good." Skye said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"Relax, you won't be, kay?"

"Okay." Carrie finally relented.

"Cool." Skye retorted.

"Where are we going? Are we still going to that place you wouldn't tell me about?" Carrie asked as Coulson placed her suitcase upon the bed.

"Change of plan, that will be after we accomplish this mission we were just handed by HQ." Coulson explained.

"So where are we going?"

"London." Coulson told her.

"What for?"

"Emergency situation, that's why I couldn't take you back to the facility first."

When they landed at the London City airport, Coulson gave strict instructions for Carrie to remain behind onboard the plane until they returned. It was believed that she would be safe there.

Unfortunately that would not be the case.

A few hours later strange sounds began to come from outside as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents still stationed on the bomber went out to investigate.

Granted, when a large unearthly thirty foot long quadruped monster with charcoal colored skin and massive tusks charged onto the airfield, they were understandably surprised.

Both local authorities and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents opened fire, but their bullets seemed to do little more than irritate the creature as it started lunging and snapping at them while swinging at them with its spiked tail. Carrie watched all of this unfold from a window of the plane with a combination of both fear and awe.

"_They're going to die, that thing is going to kill them all!" _She thought to herself.

Outside agents, policemen and airport personnel alike were running for their lives. At one point one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tripped and fell as the beast lunged ready to pounce on top of him…only to hit a seemingly invisible barrier. The agent looked up in disbelief to see Carrie standing there with her hands outstretched.

The creature, obviously confused grew angry as it threw itself at the telekinetic wall again and again. Carrie strained as she fought to hold it together. This was far beyond anything she had ever tried to use her powers on before. Far more stressing than when she stopped the car speeding towards her that Billy and Chris were in after the prom. She suddenly became aware of something trickling down from her face and dripping onto the runway…her nose was bleeding.

Invisible cracks that only she could see began to appear as the beast continued its assault but in the meantime the airport personnel and police were being given a chance to flee while the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tried desperately to get people off of nearby parked planes that were in preparation for take off.

But there came a point when the barrier simply would not hold anymore as it finally broke down. The resulting telekinetic recoil sent Carrie flying backwards to a potentially painful landing on the runway, it was just dumb luck however that she landed on a parked luggage carrier that had a large duffel bag sitting atop it.

The beast proceeded to move toward her only to be distracted by the screams of the evacuating passengers as it turned its attention towards them.

Carrie slowly sat up trying to shake off the cobwebs as she looked over to see the monster slam into the side of one of the planes that was still in the process of being evacuated. It then turned its attention to the passengers. A woman carrying a baby screamed as the behemoth sprang towards it. The baby's own cry of terror triggered something in Carrie.

"NO!" She roared in a voice that did not sound at all human as a telekinetic punch raced across the airfield and hit the monstrosity with the force of a freight train, sending it flying back at least a thousand feet as it crashed back down.

The creature's expression of bewilderment matched Carrie's at that moment.

"_Did I do that?" _She thought to herself.

The giant fiend however quickly recovered and with renewed vigor and anger ran strait at Carrie like a mad bull in full charge!

"_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" _She thought as she desperately tried to slow the leviathan down by slamming anything into it that wasn't nailed down.

Luggage transporters, air stairs and anything else that she could lift smashed into the brute, but it was to no avail as it barreled through everything undaunted. Any second it would be upon her, and then she would die. And being the God fearing young woman that her mother had raised her to be there was but one thought in her mind.

"_Am I going to Hell? What's going to happen to me?" _She pondered gravely.

The question however, would not be answered this day as suddenly a massive bolt of lightning struck the creature hard knocking it onto its side just before it reached her. Carrie looked in the direction that it came from to see someone dressed in armor of some kind with a red flowing cape flying through the air with a gigantic hammer outstretched before him.

"What on Earth?" Carrie spoke aloud as the warrior closed the gap and drilled the hammer into the side of the monster's head just as it was getting back up.

The rather strapping individual then quickly turned his attention to Carrie as he landed.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Look out!" She screamed as the titan swung its tail around and hit her savior with it like he was hitting a baseball.

Thor flew through the air and crashed down onto the airfield as his body punched and dug holes in the asphalt and concrete as he skidded across it. The goliath bounded towards him as the Asgardian started to pull himself up. It was clear it would reach him before he would fully recover. Then at the last possible second a large airline catering truck rammed into the side of the beast pushing it off to one side. Carrie had gotten lucky once more, normally such a vehicle would be far too heavy for her to move, but the panicked driver had bailed and left it running when the creature had first appeared.

With Carrie having bought him the precious seconds that he needed Thor proceeded to twirl Mjolnir in his grasp as he bolted up into the sky and veered back around strait for the colossus. As it reared up on its hind legs it roared and opened its jaws wide…that was when Thor flew strait in and exploded out the back of the creature's skull as Carrie gasped at the sight.

Finally the monster toppled over for the last time, it would not rise again. Thor then came down directly in front of Carrie.

"Are you unharmed?"

Carrie was understandably awestruck for the moment by what had just transpired, as well as admiring the handsomeness of Thor, but she eventually did find the words she sought.

"Uh, yes, I'm fine, thank you." She stammered as she whipped a handkerchief out and wiped her nose.

"No, thank you for helping me out back there. I saw what you did, are you a sorceress of some sort perhaps?"

"Well, I'm uh telekinetic." She answered, but she could tell from his expression that the word held no meaning for him.

"Yeah, sorceress." She then said nodding as he did the same, "So who are you?"

"I am Thor, son of Odin from Asgard."

"Well, I'm Carrie, uh, daughter of Margaret from Maine." She said rather awkwardly trying to match his greeting as they shook hands.

"You should be proud. You are very brave for one so young. These people would surely be dead if not for you. You were a true hero today." Thor told her.

"I…I was?" She said with honest surprise.

"Indeed."

It took Carrie a few moments to snap back to reality after what Thor had just told her, but she finally spoke once again.

"What was that thing?"

"A demogorge or frost beast, it comes from the realm of Jotunheim. It came here by accident during the convergence while I was battling the dark elf lord Malekith."

Now it was Carrie's turn to be perplexed by Thor's words.

"Oh." She said simply as she looked at him with a blank stare.

"All that you need to know is that it is dead and no longer poses a threat. Now if you will excuse me, I must go. I'm afraid I must ask you to stand back." He warned her as she did as he asked, "Heimdall!" He shouted as the transporting beam of the bifrost came down and took him away.

"_Wow." _Carrie whispered as she watched him go.

No more than five minutes later Coulson and his team returned.

"Hey!" He called after her as she turned around, "What are you doing outside the plane? Did something exciting happen…while…we…were…" He trailed off as he and his team took in the devastation surrounding them.

Coulson then saw the Asgardian hieroglyph burned into the landing strip behind Carrie and then looked past her to the carcass of the frost beast lying dead in the distance.

All Carrie did was smile.

Just then however, different people began walking up to them as they started to converge on their location, Plane passengers, airport personnel and eventually the local police as well.

Thing is…none of them looked too happy.

"What is she?" One of them shouted angrily.

"Is she a mutant?" Another cried out.

"I saw what she did, she's a monster! She's another one of those things from another world!" A third proclaimed.

Just twenty-four hours after Malekith had nearly wiped the city off the map, the locals were in no mood for more peril and carnage, regardless of who or what was the cause.

"What's wrong, what did I do?" Carrie asked with sudden alarm and worry.

"It's okay, we'll handle it." Coulson assured her before turning his attention to the steadily growing mob.

"Let's just calm down people!" Ward said with a raised voice.

"There's no reason for alarm here, the situation is well in hand." Coulson said trying to diffuse the situation as he outstretched his hands in a calming gesture.

Just then the police stepped up coming through the crowd.

"She's coming with us." One of them ordered.

"I'm afraid not." Coulson told him.

"I don't take orders from you."

"Listen, there's no reason for hysterics, my name is Agent Coulson, I'm with-"

"I know who you are." The officer at the front of the group spoke cutting him off, "You and your little S.H.I.E.L.D. cronies think you can just go wherever you bloody well like and do whatever you want? Maybe we disagree." He finished threateningly.

The cop in question had been the same one who had tried to take Jane Foster into custody a day ago and then drew their guns when Thor tried to stop them. He didn't like super powered beings, in all truth he was scared to death of them. The entire populace for that matter had had their fill of fear as of late.

"I…I was just trying to help." Carrie said desperately, her emotions starting to get the better of her as more angry hisses and boos were launched at her from the crowd.

"Please, we can discuss this calmly." Coulson went on still choosing the way of diplomacy.

"We'll be calm when she's locked up!" Another angry passenger shouted.

"Bag that noise! Shoot the bloody twat in the head!" One more bellowed.

With that the police drew their guns much to the delight of what was quickly becoming a raving lynch mob.

"Send all the sodding freaks back across the ocean!" A random voice hollered as Carrie hung her head.

"We don't want you here!" A second added.

"You've caused enough pain and suffering." The lead cop accused.

Before Coulson could say anything back, Carrie spoke up instead.

"You think you know what pain is?" She said as she lifted head back up, her face full of tears, "You think you know what suffering is?" She continued as her voice grew in tempo as the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team looked back at her with genuine worry, "YOU KNOW NOTHING!" She shrieked as a massive energy wave reeled off of her that surged through everyone there.

But the wave…was not a telekinetic one…it was telepathic instead.

In that moment, everyone that was there…became her. They saw what she had seen, felt her pain, her sadness, her misery…it was overwhelming.

Everyone fell silent. The cops meanwhile dropped their guns in sheer awe of what they were experiencing.

All the former anger and bluster that the frenzied masse had mustered was literally drained out of them. Even the team was exposed to it.

There were several moments of silence…no one moved.

Then slowly but surely, the crowd dispersed, still in shock…except for one.

It was the woman and baby that Carrie had saved.

She then walked up to her.

"I…I just wanted to thank you for saving us, and especially for saving my baby." She said with genuine sincerity.

With that Carrie was snapped out of her emotional turmoil as tears of a different kind began to come down her cheeks.

"Yo-you're welcome." she finally managed to stutter out as the woman nodded with a smile before turning and walking away.

With that Carrie turned to face the rest of the team. Skye was the first to step up and wrap her arms around Carrie in a big bear hug as Coulson stepped up and placed a hand on Carrie's shoulder.

Later…

"What happened out there?" Coulson asked, "I thought that the tech that Banner and Stark designed was supposed to inhibit her powers when she was angry."

"Well, it sorta worked, it wasn't telekinetics." Fitz said.

"It wasn't her primary power that manifested." Simmons offered.

"Primary?" Coulson questioned.

"Yep, brain readouts showed it as being a telepathic wave." Simmons went on.

"So she pulled a Vulcan mind meld with everyone there." Skye stated, to which Simmons and Fitz nodded.

"She summoned another new power." Coulson realized.

"Whatever powers she has, that still doesn't explain why the device didn't work." May countered.

"Because it wasn't anger." Ward suddenly said cutting in, "It was despair, pure and absolute." He said as he tilted his head down and placed his hands on the diagnostic table.

"We all felt it, what she's experienced, what she's been through. What she's had to overcome." Coulson chimed in.

"I know that me and Carrie have for the most part buried the hatchet, but I really had no idea what she had been through…until now." Ward confessed.

"It's amazing that she could come back from that at all." Skye said.

"She's strong, allot stronger than anyone gives her credit for." Coulson began as he looked at his fellow team members, "And now we all know. This meeting is adjourned." He finished.

A few moments later, in Carrie's room.

"May I come in?" Coulson asked as he stepped up to the entrance of Carrie's temporary quarters.

"Yes."

"We finally know what happened."

"You do."

"Yes, you hit everyone with a telepathic wave. In that instant, every one of us felt what you were feeling."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It just sorta…happened."

"Don't apologize, we should be thanking you, That crowd was getting ugly, you took care of that for us."

"I see. I guess that's a good thing then. So, I have telepathy?"

"So it would seem."

"What else do you think I will be able to do?"

"Hard to say, your various manifesting powers are as much a mystery to us as they are to you. But speaking of powers, I just got done watching the surveillance footage from the Globemaster's onboard cameras, you did good out there with the monster."

"Thank you." She said with a soft and grateful smile, " So are we heading home now?"

"Fraid not, we have a situation in Norway we have to deal with first. But this time I'm relatively sure that nothing crazy will happen while we're gone."

"I actually didn't mind it that much."

"Really? Weren't you scared?"

"Terrified, but…"

"But what?"

"It kinda felt good."

"What did?"

"Helping people."

"So how does it feel to be a superhero?"

"What? But I'm not-"

"That's what Thor called you didn't he."

"Well, he called me a hero, but that doesn't mean-"

"When someone from the big leagues like Thor calls you a hero it's nothing to sneeze at. Guess that means we're going to have to come up with name for you."

"Name? But I have a name."

"I mean your superhero name. All the greats have em. Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman and so on."

"Can't I just be Carrie White?"

"How are you supposed to scare bad guys just going by your real name, it's kinda like a Dread Pirate Roberts kinda thing."

Carrie just looked at him blankly.

"I guess you never got to see The Princess Bride?"

"No."

"I'll hook you up with a copy, you'll love it." Coulson told her as she snickered slightly.

"It's strange." Carrie said.

"What is?"

"According to everything that I was ever taught as a Christian, Thor and all of his kin were nothing but pagan myths to be discounted and shunned as blasphemy. And today I had a conversation with one." Carrie explained as she and Coulson shared a smile at the thought.

"Well, Thor isn't technically a God, just a being that is part of an advanced race from another realm. Sure considering his strength, powers and longevity it's no small wonder that ancient humans worshipped them as gods. But all preconceived notions aside, he's still a good man, a good hero, and a good friend."

"You know him?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

"And now that you know him do you still think he's blasphemous?"

"No, well…maybe some of the things I was thinking about when I was standing near him maybe." She said as she blushed slightly.

"Yeah, you and apparently every other female on the planet, even Skye and May."

"Yeah, but I'm not supposed to be thinking abut things like that!" She blustered somewhat embarrassingly.

"Christian or not you're still human aren't you. And full of raging teenage hormones no less, I think God would understand." Coulson reassured her.

"So what's next?"

"How about some physical training?"

"Huh, what for?"

"To help you cope with the strain that using your powers has on your body. I can schedule you for a regular cardiovascular exercise regime as well as some basic self defense courses for good measure."

"Sounds good, when will I start?"

"As soon as we get back to the facility if you like?"

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Location: S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier.

Within a private communications room onboard the helicarrier, Director Nick Fury was in a conference with the World Security Council.

"So let me see if we've got this straight. You purposely omitted important Intel about the nature of the mission assigned to Coulson's team just so you could test the capabilities of an unstable telekinetic teenager guilty of mass murder against an otherworldly creature that could have killed hundreds?" One of the council members spoke.

"Pretty much yea." Fury said rather casually.

"We could have you court marshaled for this Director." A second chimed in.

"You could, but then again you said the same thing about New York too."

"This is different. She's a killer." A third added.

"Well, I don't know about you, but if a bunch of jack holes showed up at my prom and killed my date I think I'd go postal too."

"Do you think this is funny Director, that this is some kind of joke?" A fourth representative asked.

"Not at all, and I think Carrie White's performance proves my point."

"And what point is that?"

"That she could be a valuable asset…if given a chance to prove herself. She isn't the first troubled meta that we've dealt with. Way I see it, she deserves the same chance that everyone else got."

"But it was Thor that actually killed the beast, not Carrie White."

"True, but she held the monster at bay long enough for everyone to be evacuated and even saved Thor from it so he could strike the killing blow."

"You should have let the team handle it."

"With all due respect to Coulson and his team, it would have killed them all and both you and I know that. The way I see it, there was no other way this could have gone down."

After that there was a long pause as the council members stopped and looked at each other.

"Alright, we'll give you and this…Carrie White a pass…this time." One of the council members said.

"But don't let something like this happen again, is that understood?" Another told him.

"Understood." Fury agreed as the view screens went dark.


End file.
